


Between the Lines

by Katsuragi



Series: The Boy and The Barista [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Abuse, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-12 04:25:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15331686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsuragi/pseuds/Katsuragi
Summary: There is a Boy, with no place to call his own.There is a Cafe, a lighthouse for the lost.There is a Barista, a savior never meant to be.





	1. Chapter 1

_There is a Boy, alone in the crowd of people._

__

__

_There is a Café, like a lighthouse shining its light for the ships gone astray._

~~~~~

It’s late when Akira finally comes back to Leblanc. The café seemed to emanate warmth like a furnace during September evenings steadily growing colder. He reads the sign hanging on the door and wonders what forces are strong enough to cause Sojiro to leave the shop open for this long. The bells ring when he opens the door, stepping in the familiar space of the place he now calls home. 

Upon entering the place Akira scans the café and is greeted by the unusual sight of the Detective Prince himself, sitting at the counter and quietly sipping coffee. A little further he notices Sojiro, reading the newspaper, frowning slightly and glancing briefly at Akira, a small look of relief washing over his face. He knows better to assume his guardian might be annoyed by any source of revenue, but even Akira must admit he was running a little late with his homecoming and Sojiro would rather leave any latecomers on his hands.

Making note of Akira’s return, Akechi raises his head, putting a pleasant smile on his face. “Welcome back, Kurusu-kun. I seem to be making myself at home here once again. It’s been hard to find a place of comfort recently.” he says.

“About time.” Sojiro interrupts, seemingly unaffected by the presence of a young celebrity. “I’m heading home. Close up the shop soon.” he closes the newspaper and puts it on the table. “Don’t stay up too late, kids.” And with that he’s gone.

For some reason Akira starts feeling agitated. Morgana still isn’t back from his usual evening escapades and without company the ravenette starts to wonder what reason Akechi might have to stay in Leblanc this late. It’s not that he dislikes his company, quite the contrary actually. The few occasions Akira had of talking to him had been scarce enough to leave him craving for more fruitful discussion. But it became a sort of tradition for the detective to run off after getting the thief up to speed with his latest deductions, not giving Akira even remotely enough time for him to string up a full sentence in return. Whatever caused Akechi to seek him out and stay until almost closing time has Akira on his toes from the moment he entered the café. It can’t be just the coffee he’s after, the thief guesses.

“Ah, is it really that late already? My apologies, I must have forgotten the time.” Akechi quickly raises from his seat, gathering the papers he had laid out on the counter to his trademark briefcase. “I’ll be going now.”

' _Of course_ ’ Akira thinks, ‘ _there he goes again_ ’.

When the detective turns to leave, the ravenette speaks up.

“Wait!” Akira exclaims, surprising himself with the desperation creeping into his voice. “You don’t have to go just yet. I can close up the shop and we can talk. I’m sure Sojiro won’t mind.” he finishes, hoping for Akechi to finally give in and offer him something more than passing comments. With all the previous uncertainty about the purpose of his visit forgotten, Akira can’t pass up an opportunity to talk with Akechi. When they first met few months ago at the TV station he approached him with the proposition of continuing their conversation if given the chance. If he really meant what he said, he must have a reason to cut their meetings short.

Akechi seems to be somewhat taken aback by Akira’s offer, his eyes widening for a short second but quickly composing himself, the pleasant smile coming back with full force.

“I can’t possibly overstay my welcome like this. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” he excuses himself and hurriedly heads for the door. “The coffee was superb, pass my regards to Sojiro-san, alright? I’ll see you later, Kurusu-kun.” and with a small bow he’s out of the café.

It takes Akira a second to register how willing Akechi was to run out of Leblanc with his usual reluctance to talk. With a sigh of disappointment he closes up the shop and hurries upstairs.

The hour is still early enough for Akira to stay up for a little bit longer. Deciding the thieves are running a bit low on lockpicks, he sits down at his workbench and gets to work.

After many hours of practicing in the past Akira automatically switches to auto-pilot, getting lost in his thoughts after only a couple of minutes. With the events from Futaba’s palace still fresh in his mind, the snippets of conversations and fragments of battles repeating in his head, he begins to feel relieved that she reached out to the Phantom Thieves before any further damage could be done. With the amount of trauma the hacker had to go through before contacting them, Akira shivers at the thought of how desperate and close to breaking the girl was. He is thankful they managed to get to her in time, before Futaba’s anguish turned into self-harm. Akira dreads to think what the guilt of supposedly being the cause of her mother’s death might turn into if left unchanged for longer.

The thought reminds him of the conversation he had not long ago. It was the first time Akechi visited Leblanc, claiming Sae’s recommendation brought him here. He remembers Futaba immediately hiding behind his back like a mouse in fear of a predator. He wasn’t even sure how the conversation led to Akechi revealing his past to both of them, Akira standing there listening and not saying much, not like he did any better in all of their previous talks. Looking back at it he wished he reacted differently, reached out a little bit more, but back then, feeling Futaba pressed against his back urging him to make the detective go away Akira felt like he was fighting a losing battle no matter whose side he would take. He took solace in the fact he was able to cheer Akechi up by his apparently not so trivial comment about the bond they seem to share.

The conversation slipped his mind not long after it took place, what with helping Futaba get used to other people’s presence and encouraging her to try and get rid of her fears. Now however, after seeing Akechi in Leblanc again, Akira starts to think back to every word the detective said. Confessing that he is a bastard child and that his mother committed suicide after having him isn’t exactly a great conversation starter. Words like that only translate to a plea in Akira’s mind, Akechi’s conviction that he doesn’t belong anywhere only strengthening his assumptions. What if he blames himself for his mother’s death much like Futaba did? What if he lived all of his life believing he is unwanted, a burden to everyone around? What if after meeting Akira he felt like he can confide in him, like he finally found someone who could listen and ease his consciousness?

He shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t risk prying into Akechi’s affairs, shouldn’t try getting closer to him. _This guy is trouble_ , Morgana would say, _keep an eye on him_. From the moment they met, something seemed off about the detective. It wasn’t even about the fact he heard Morgana talk, the obvious clue for the group that he knows more than he lets on. The Phantom Thieves already started suspecting Akechi of being the one to cause mental shutdowns, not surprising really, considering the Metaverse isn’t something easily accessible for the public. The fact that he is openly disagreeing with thieves’ methods doesn’t really help his case either. Still, against better judgment Akira hopes they’re wrong, that there is somebody else with MetaNav, that maybe they aren’t supposed to team up against Akechi but help each other see eye to eye and catch the true culprit.

No, the reason something seems off isn’t because of his involvement with Metaverse. It’s in the way the detective carries himself. The way he talks to the public, to his fans, to Akira himself, all of it dripping with insincerity, the fake smiles and overly pleasant attitude always seemed off-putting to him. It was how Akechi always seems to reach out to him in the crowd of people early in the mornings, how despite the mask on his face he still tries to carry out a conversation with Akira, how his eyes dissect every expression and every word the ravenette managed to utter in the rush of their brief meetings. Like there is never enough time. Like all he needs is for Akira is to remember he’s still there.

_Goddammit Akira, get a grip._

He must be overthinking this. He doesn’t know the detective that well to draw this kind of assumptions. There is no way that with his status he doesn’t get enough attention from people around him, his co-workers or admirers, to have someone to talk to, eat dinner with or distract him from work for a while. That was probably the reason he couldn’t stay to talk to the thief, running late for another meeting with his colleagues.

Maybe it’s just Akira who wants to feel special. After all, it’s not every day you get to become friends with a celebrity.

That’s what he would think few months ago. Now however, with all his previous adventures in mind he realized he had a certain obsession with saving people, be it from the harm caused by others, problems they created themselves, the future or their past. He can read people, notice the signs of distress, sadness, uncertainty. He likes to think he got better at this in the past few months and any of these signals he noticed in Akechi aren’t just his imagination, as much as he wants them to be.

Or maybe he is just obsessed with the guy and he never took this kind of thing into consideration. That wouldn’t be outside of realm of possibilities.

His musings are disturbed when Akira hears light scratching on his window, noticing Morgana standing outside and demanding to be let in.

Looks like he won’t get anything else done this evening.


	2. Chapter 2

_There is a Boy, showered with meaningless attention._

_There is a Barista, struggling to put it all together._

~~~~~

The events of the last few days drained more energy from Akira than he would like to admit. It was bound to happen eventually. With their group becoming progressively bigger, the chance of a misunderstanding or quarrel was high. And this time the pressure proved to be too much for Morgana. 

The cat was acting differently for the past few days. He was distant, offering the most basic of acknowledgements and withdrawing from conversation whenever he could, his snarky comments spoken with more conviction than usual. 

In the end Akira doesn’t know what he's feeling anymore. Is he mad at Ryuji for being a stubborn ass or disappointed in Morgana for raising to his bait? He can’t blame Ryuji about voicing his excitement about the Phantom Thieves’s business, he knows how hot-headed the boy can be. He just wishes Ryuji would think for once before speaking. 

And yes, he is disappointed, but not with Morgana. Disappointed with himself. He should have seen it coming. So used to Morgana’s presence he didn’t even try to pry and determine the cause of the cat’s behavior.

They tried to look for him, they really did. If it was a normal cat they were after maybe they would’ve succeeded by now, but Morgana is far from a normal cat. Akira knows that if he doesn’t want to be found, the group doesn’t stand a chance. 

So here he is, coming back to Leblanc earlier than usual, with everyone’s morale low, trying to recharge as much as he can before coming up with any sort of plan of how to reconcile with Morgana. 

Sojiro is sitting behind the counter, frowning at Akira’s disheartened expression. There are still few patrons left, occupying the booth near the stairs.

“Still no luck, huh?” he asks. Sojiro knows how attached Akira is to his beloved pet, and even though he still holds some reservations about the animal boarded at his café, he has to admit he got used to the cat politely strolling through the store like he was a customer himself.

“Not really.” Akira replies. “Do you want me to help you wash the dishes or something?”

“If you have nothing better to do, any help would be appreciated.”

Akira nods and heads upstairs to change to something more casual. He knows Sojiro rarely needs any _real_ help in Leblanc, the café not being the most popular spot to hang out among young people. But they both know Akira could use any distraction right now, and wiping the counter or mopping the floor will have to do.

Unfortunately, these tasks doesn’t prove to be challenging enough to really take Akira’s mind off the current turmoil in his head. Luckily, the old couple sitting at the booth seems to be awfully chatty today, so even with no manual labor left he finds himself discussing the politics, weather, unruly youth and, to his guardian's distress, whether Sojiro’s marital status will miraculously change one day.

After an hour of playful banter between both parties, the patrons leave and Akira and Sojiro find themselves alone in the café. Knowing the old couple is usually the last to visit Leblanc, Sojiro informs Akira he’s heading home, and despite there being almost an hour until closing time, instructs him to close the shop soon. 

While Akira dries up two mugs still remaining in the sink, he can’t help but let his thoughts roam freely, recent argument not allowing him to have even a brief moment of respite. That is, until he hears the bells indicating arrival of a late customer.

He turns around, planning to inform the late-comer he was just about to close up but pauses, noticing a familiar face.

“Hello Kurusu-kun, I hope I’m not interrupting…?” Akechi asks with uncertainty, smiling politely and still standing in the doorway. 

Akira’s face immediately lights up, smiling softly and gesturing for Akechi to step inside.

“Hi there. You’re not interrupting, there is still an hour left before I have to lock up the café.”

_Like hell I’m gonna tell him we were closed already for him to run away from me again._

While Akechi sits down at his usual spot, Akira starts thinking how lucky it is for the two of them to finally have a chance at a normal conversation. The detective can’t resort to any excuses to cut their meeting short this time. 

_I might have screwed up with Morgana, but I won’t mess up my chance with you._

Akira walks up to the counter. “So, what will it be?” 

“Just a house blend, please”. Well, that’s easy enough. At least Akira won’t embarrass himself and mess anything up. Besides, he remembers how the detective takes his coffee from the last time. 

However, there was one thing Akira didn’t take into consideration. In all of their chance encounters it was always Akechi who initiated the conversation, Akira only trying to keep up with the detective’s train of thoughts. This time though, Akira works in silence. It doesn’t feel right, the last few weeks Akira dreamed of all the things he would like to know about Akechi and understand him better. But now, all his previous mental notes seems to have gone down the drain, leaving his mind blank and letting awkwardness take their place. 

Trying to get the coffee right, Akira asks without turning around. “So… how have you been doing lately?” _And just when did you get so lame, Akira?_

Silence.

Fearing Akechi found his icebreaker as lame as Akira himself, and refused to grace it with an answer, he slowly turns around and takes a glance at the detective. 

He seems to be deeply in thought, his head propped up on his hand, chestnut bangs almost hiding the eyes fixed downwards and frowning slightly. After a few short seconds his head tips up and meets Akira’s gaze, feeling the stare directed at him.

“Oh… my apologies Kurusu-kun, it’s a bad habit of mine to get distracted and not pay attention. Were you saying something?” Akechi apologizes with a sheepish look on his face. 

_Alright, think this through this time._

“It’s… nothing important really. What’s on your mind?”

Akechi hesitates shortly before answering. “It’s my work, unfortunately. I can’t explain anything in detail, but so many cases piled up recently I can’t afford to take any breaks.” 

“Well, you’re here now, so I guess you managed to fit one in your schedule?” Akira asks with a playful note in his voice. Akechi smiles lightly, “I suppose I did” he agrees.

With the coffee done, Akira serves it to the detective, praying he didn’t overdo it and isn’t going to be a disgrace to Leblanc’s name. He watches Akechi take a slow sip.

“Ah, exceptionally savory today. Sojiro-san appears to be a great teacher.”

Breathing a sigh of relief Akira replies, “Hey, don’t credit Sojiro for everything. Who knows, maybe I just have a natural gift for making coffee?” He rounds the corner and sits one chair away from Akechi, turning towards him. 

The brunette chuckles lightly, “I wouldn’t be surprised if a constant exposure to this place could create wonders like that.” The smile on Akira’s face seemed to be present for the whole exchange and certainly doesn’t seem to waver now. 

Unfortunately, _that_ apparently was everything they were meaning to say to each other, and silence settles between them yet again. Akira’s mind is reeling for any topic of conversation that wouldn’t seem boring and typical, not wanting to taint the apparently high regard he seems to hold in Akechi’s mind. 

The troubles from the last few days however didn’t completely disappear from his mind. Akira keeps thinking back to his friends and their future as the Phantom Thieves. More importantly he keeps thinking about Morgana, who despite his extraordinary nature might end up doing something reckless, going to Mementos alone, driving far down where they wouldn’t be able to find him in case things go south.

“You seem to be troubled by something, Kurusu-kun.” Ah, an eye for an eye. He must have looked the same way Akechi did few moments ago. 

After making sure Akira has his attention, Akechi continues, “If you happen to be in any trouble, I might be able to help you. It’s my job, after all.” 

“No no, it’s nothing serious, really. It’s just… my cat ran away.” Akira clarifies quickly.

Akechi frowns slightly turning his head downwards, thinking. “Then it doesn’t appear to be that insignificant, does it? From what I’ve seen, you seem to be very attached to it after all.” he deduces.

Akira turns away from the detective. “Well… yeah. We always go everywhere together, don’t we? Or used to, at least.” Akira reminiscences, lips curving down. 

“Hmm… I don’t have any experience when it comes to cats, so I’m afraid I’m ill equipped for this particular case. Do you know by any chance what could be the reason for his disappearance?” Akechi inquires.

Akira hesitates. He can’t tell the truth, so he opts for the safe option. “No idea. He didn’t come back from his evening stroll and I haven’t seen him since then.”

“Then are you sure it was his decision to ran away? Perhaps he ventured too far and got lost or somebody mistook him for a stray and took him in?” _It was definitely his decision, alright._

Knowing it couldn’t be any of these circumstances, Akira replies without thinking, “I think he’s just mad at me.” 

_Crap._

Technically, it's not _that_ strange for cats to be mad at their owners. Akira’s sure that some cats who are incredibly picky, leave for search of better accommodation. And it’s not like Akechi knows about Morgana being able to talk.

“… mad at you?” Akechi asks, looking bewildered. “It appears that my knowledge of cats might not be fitting for this happenstance.” Akechi looks at Akira for better explanation.

“It’s a little complicated. I might have abused my belly rub privileges and didn’t try to placate him with sushi few times recently.” _Change the subject, pleaaaaase._

Looking slightly amused, Akechi replies, “In any case, the least I could do is to look around and see if I spot him somewhere close. I’m sorry for asking, I realize now you probably already got a great amount of similar advice and could use a distraction from your worries.” The boy looks apologetic, looking like he failed to crack a particularly tough case. 

“No need to apologize, but… you’re right. I guess I could use a change of subject.” Akira says with relief.

“Then perhaps you would like to share how was your trip to Hawaii?” 

“How do you know about that?” Akira asks, looking stunned. He didn’t tell him anything about that, did he? And if he didn’t, then how? Did Akechi notice his absence in the metro in the mornings and decided to investigate the matter? Maybe while he talked with Sae she mentioned Makoto going on a trip and assumed Akira was there too?

“Sojiro-san told me. I don’t remember what we talked about exactly, but he mentioned you’re away for few days.” Now _that_ is interesting. So the detective was here when Akira was away. Was Akechi looking for him? Was he disappointed he wouldn’t be able to see Akira?

“Awww, did you miss me?” Akira asks teasingly. Maybe he’s being bold here, but he has to live up to the name of the trickster.

Akechi however looks like he’s been caught in the middle of committing a crime for a short second, a barely noticeable tinge of red coloring his cheeks but he quickly regains composure. “W-well… I expressed regret about not being able to talk to you, of course, but it’s not like I would never get the chance to do that again so I wasn’t worried.”

“Then why are you always running away?” Akira doesn’t want to dampen the mood, but at this point he really wants some real answers from the brunette. Is he simply interested in the idea of talking to Akira, instead of actually doing it? Is he afraid of something? Is he being cautious? 

Akechi seems to ponder over his question, looking slightly offended. “Why would you think that?”

“Every time I see you I never get the chance to properly talk to you. Before I even manage to reply, you storm off to the first train you see, even though it’s a different one every single time we talked, don’t think I didn’t notice. When me met at the TV station you said you wanted to talk to me if an opportunity arises, but you never actually went through with this. So why?” Akira inquires with fire in his eyes.

He knows he might be taking a gamble here, his ravings might drive Akechi away, but he’s fired up and if getting a little accusatory is the only way to make Akechi talk, then he won’t hesitate to act up a little. 

Akechi looks away, noticing the daggers directed at him in Akira’s eyes. He inhales slowly, letting out a sigh. “It might look like that to you, doesn’t it? But I assure you, It’s just my line of work that requires complete dedication to the cause. Because of it, I hardly have any chance to talk to my acquaintances. I take different trains because my presence is required in the field, and it always means changing locations very frequently. I’m sorry if I ever made you think I don’t want to talk.” Akechi says with a smile that looks practiced and as fake as it can get. 

“Before the trip, when you came here the second time, I asked you to stay a while longer. But you were worried I could get in trouble for this, not because you had a case to attend to or you have somewhere to be early in the morning. I really wanted for us to finally get to know each other better. Are you finally talking to me today because I was already here when you came over, or were you hoping I would be away and Sojiro would serve you instead?” Akira is getting angry now, and starts to think he should stop rambling before he makes things worse.

Akechi looks at the ravenette like he just insulted him live on one of his TV shows, and says with sturdiness in his voice. “Kurusu-kun, I don’t know why you’re throwing such accusations at me. You and many other people seem to underestimate how hectic my life is, and how easy it is to be thrown off rhythm by simple casual meetings. I don’t think I have to explain to you why I can’t stay longer to chat every time we bump into each other.” Akechi grips the mug in his hands tightly, his mouth clenched and looking down with repressed anger in his eyes. 

“If it really is that bothersome to you, Kurusu-kun” Akechi continues “then maybe I should schedule my appointments with you beforehand to avoid any disappointment on your part.” he finishes bitterly.

_Shit._

Now Akira feels like he’s the one in the wrong here. How the hell did Akechi manage to turn the entire situation around making himself the victim? That’s not how it was supposed to go at all. Akira’s mind is reeling for any kind of solution for redeeming himself, but comes up with nothing.

“W-wait, t-that’s not what I-“

“No matter.” Akira gets cut off. “I apologize, but I have to go. I still have some work to finish at home.” Akechi stands up and throws Akira a cold glance, as if to emphasize that he _does_ have an excuse to walk out. “Next time we meet, before approaching you, I’ll make sure I have a significant amount of time on my hands to avoid unnecessary distractions.” The brunette assures Akira, standing up, leaving money on the counter and reaching for his briefcase. 

Akira can only sit on the chair in total bafflement. He opens his mouth to say something, _anything_ , to make the detective stay, to make it right somehow but he can only remain silent. He watches Akechi leave with his mouth half-open in disbelief, unable to move a muscle. He feels the tension in the café would cut him in half if he were to make any movement. 

“Thank you for the coffee, Kurusu-kun. Goodbye.” Akechi says, his words establishing no room for any more discussion, and walks out of Leblanc.

“…” 

Akira doesn’t move for the next couple of minutes, trying to wrap his head around the whole incident. Everything went as wrong as it could have gone. Not only didn’t he get a chance to have a proper heart-to-heart with Akechi, but also made him angry, possibly ruining each and every prospect of any random encounter from now on. 

Once he manages to snap out of his stupor, he slowly stands up and stares blankly at the door. His eyes start to water, but he blinks the tears away and steps forward to change the sign to ‘closed’. 

The second time he saw Akechi in Leblanc he wondered if the signs of loneliness he saw in him were just his imagination. He felt so proud of his ability to read people. He wanted to believe he can make the detective open up to him. And now, not only did he fail Morgana, blindly ignoring his struggles, but also misled Akechi about his motive only having good intentions in mind.

He shouldn’t have been so forceful. He should have known better that to press Akechi into opening up to him so easily. Now the brunette must think he is self-absorbed, like Akechi is the one who should make time for him and not the other way around.

He will fix this. He has to. But for now Akira is tired, drained both physically and mentally, so he walks up the stairs and prepares for the night, setting a curfew for himself since Morgana is not here to remind him of healthy sleeping patterns. 

This day couldn’t have gone any worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing is hard ya'll.


	3. Chapter 3

_There is a Boy, whose heart is melting from the sun shining through the cracks._

_There is a Barista, wishing for a new start._

~~~~

Akira sees Akechi just few days after the last time they spoke. And seeing is the only thing that the thief can hope for. The older boy is definitely avoiding him, that much Akira can see.

The detective is not that subtle about it either. Once Akira makes it to the subway platform, he immediately starts to look around for the brown mop of hair anywhere in the crowd. After a minute of frantic search, he finds him. Their eyes meet, Akira’s pleading and full of hope and Akechi’s uncertain and downcast.

Just when Akira starts thinking that maybe they previous encounter is better left forgotten and never spoken about, that he will be miraculously forgiven, Akechi sharply turns around and walks out of sight.

Akira’s disappointment must be visible in his expression since Morgana pokes his head out of the bag and asks “Hey, what’s with the long face?”

“It’s… “ Akira hesitates. Since Morgana wasn’t there the last time Akechi visited Leblanc, he didn’t know about the argument the boys had. The ravenette is sure the cat would be extremely displeased by the fact that not only was he adamant about the decision to get closer to the detective, but also the fact he might have angered their potential enemy. “… nothing.”

“Are you sure? Did you get in any trouble when I was away?” Morgana inquires, nosy as ever.

Akira let out a sigh. _Screw it._

“It’s just… things got a little out of hand and I don’t think you’ll be happy to hear about that.” Akira confesses truthfully.

“Ehhh… You just can’t stay out of trouble when I’m not around to keep an eye on you, can you?” the cat sighs but he’s clearly curious about the cause of Akira’s worries.

“I… had an argument with Akechi and I think he’s really mad at me.” Akira admits quickly, wanting to get Morgana’s preaching over with.

“Oh boy, that’s not good. It must have been an amazing performance if you managed to rattle him like this. What did you even do?” That’s not as bad as Akira expected.

“I just wanted him to talk to me. Few days ago he stopped by Leblanc, and I thought we can finally get to know each other better. But then I tried asking him why he always runs away from me, and I guess I got a little bit annoyed at him for that. He probably thought I demanded to spend more time with him in expense of his job. I wanted to apologize and correct myself somehow, but he walked out before I managed to say anything. I thought I could try and talk to him here if I find him, but I just saw him and I get the impression he’s not all that happy to see me.”

“Akira… didn’t I tell you not to get close to him?”

“I know, I know. But… you said he’s our enemy. Isn’t it better to keep your enemies close?” Akira knows he can’t convince Morgana to like Akechi, but twisting the cat’s words to Akira’s favor worked wonders in the past.

Morgana looks at him with resignation. “If you try and manage to drag him on our side this might be worth the effort. But I highly doubt there is any possibility of him joining us, so I wouldn’t recommend getting any closer than necessary. Still, please try and make up with him, it wouldn’t do us any good if he starts snooping even more because of your nosiness.”

“Hey! I really was just trying to get him to be my friend.” Akira weakly justifies.

“Then how about this? I can tell you a few tips on how to be a better friend. Step one: buy me a sushi for all this trouble you caused! Step two-”

“Alright, alright! I get it, you’ll get your sushi later.”

Despite his nagging Akira is grateful the thieves managed to make amends with Morgana. And even though the new threat already started to hang in the air, they are together again with a new ally on their side.

~~~~~

Okumura’s palace is by far the most tiring challenge they encountered so far. Each day they finish exploration Akira feels more and more tired the further they get. He comes back to Leblanc way after closing, and has absolutely no time or energy to do anything other than plop down on the bed and sleep.

One of these days however, Akira finds the café still lit up at an unusually late hour. His heart skips a beat and he walks a little bit faster, wondering if he’ll find Akechi sitting at his usual chair, forgiving Akira for his previous questioning.

He walks into Leblanc a little bit too fast, clearly fatiqued, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Sojiro.

“Geez, kid. What got you so out of breath?” Akira looks around the café, immediately disappointed when he notices the only people inside seem to be the old couple in the booth by the stairs.

Akira should have known better. Akechi doesn’t seem to be the person who admits defeat first, what reason would he have to talk to Akira before the ravenette makes any kind of effort to return to their previous relationship, as unsatisfying as it may have been.

“Oh, by the way, your friend asked for you. I told him you probably won’t be back for a while but he seemed insistent.”

_What._

“Which friend?” Akira asks quickly, trying to mask the desperation in his voice and not succeeding.

“That detective kid. You haven’t seen him outside? He left just a minute ago since it’s getting late. He said he’ll be ba-”

Akira doesn’t know if he ever ran than fast in his entire life. Once he runs out of Leblanc he starts searching the nearby alleyways, barely registering Morgana’s distressed meowing coming from his bag.

“Akiraaaaa!!! What the hell are you doing?!” the cat yells, clearly struggling to make himself heard.

Akira stops running and opens his bag, practically throwing Morgana out of it.

“You’re right,” Akira breathes out, still trying to catch his breath. “this is stupid. We should just split up. Go the other way and look for Akechi, let me know as soon as you find him, he couldn’t get far.” Akira announces while Morgana tries not to puke from the amount of movement he’s been unwillingly subjected to.

“Wait, what!?” the cat tries to object, but Akira already took off.

The thief fortunately doesn’t have to look far. He finds Akechi on his way to the station, probably trying to catch the last train home. Once Akira sees him he yells out.

“Akechi!!!” The detective seems startled at first but turns around, smile on his face, not wanting to give unfriendly impression in case it’s one of his fans recognizing him. The smile however quickly disappears, replaced by surprise and slight amusement.

Akira catches up to him in record time and tries to say something, despite having no air left in his lungs. “Wait up… I heard you were… asking for me…” Akira breathes out and rest his hands on his knees, trying to get himself together somehow.

“I did. However, it’s nothing of importance, certainly not worth the trouble I seem to have put you through.” Akechi says, trying not to laugh at the mess that is Akira trying to make himself look more presentable.

Once the thief manages to keep himself more or less together he looks up, “It must be important enough to make you stay in Leblanc until almost closing time.”

Akechi diverts his eyes from Akira and admits quietly “Well… I was just hoping I could see you. I’m afraid the last time we talked I reacted too harshly at your inquires and I wanted to apologize.” Akechi looks up at Akira, silent question for forgiveness.

 _‘Why were you avoiding me up till now?'_ is what Akira wants to ask, but having learned his lesson from the last time, he’d rather not take any more chances.

“No, it’s me who should apologize. I shouldn’t have been so pushy about wanting to spend time with you. I know you’re busy and I was being selfish.” Akira admits truthfully.

Akechi’s lips turn into a mischievous smirk when he says “You said you don’t want to be pushy, and yet you clearly tried to look for me through an entire neighborhood, judging by your state when you found me. Didn’t Sakura-san tell you I will be back tomorrow if you’d be willing to talk to me?“

Akira tries to hide his embarrassment but clearly fails, his face heating up as he stutters “W-well… I kinda… didn’t have time to listen to him at the time…”

Akechi smiles knowingly “However, the offer still stands. If you have time to spare, that is.” He asks hopefully.

There is no possible scenario in which Akira refuses such a proposal, so he agrees with vigor “Sure! I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ll make sure to come back to Leblanc earlier so we can have some more time.”

“Perfect. I’ll make my leave then. See you tomorrow, Kurusu-kun.”

“Goodnight.”

Akira’s eyes still follow Akechi when he disappears around the corner. Out of all the things that could happen today, that was the most unexpected outcome. Akira can’t say he’s unhappy with it, still smiling gently as he turns around and makes his way back home.

“I take it that it went well?” he hears a voice coming from somewhere behind him.

Akira notices Morgana coming out from around the corner, looking much better than when Akira saw him last time. He suspects the cat haven’t exactly been looking as much as Akira would like him to, probably finding the two boys shortly after they split up and eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Better than well.”

“I can see that, judging by that creepy grin on your face. But I guess it’s for the best. Still, I didn’t expect him to be the one to apologize to you.” Morgana wonders.

“I know, I was surprised too. Maybe he really was a little on edge that day.”

“I wonder about that. Maybe he’s planning something. Be careful, I’m sure he’s just trying to be nice to you so he can lower your guard.” Morgana speculates. Akira knows the cat just wants the best for him, but maybe this time his thoughts are a little bit too far-fetched.

“Now you’re just overreacting, I’m sure he was just feeling guilty and wanted to clear the air between us. No need to read so much into this.” Akira assures him.

He knows about Morgana’s nature and is acutely aware that once the cat sets his mind on something, it’s practically impossible for anyone to change his mind. “See, he already got you wrapped around his finger! Seriously Akira, you should be more careful, what am I supposed to do if he drags you on his side? And stop with that smile, it’s creeping me out!”

Right, he is still smiling. He tries to tone it down a little and tune out Morgana’s preaching while they come back to Leblanc together, Akira momentarily forgetting about how tired he feels.

For now everything seems to be working out better than expected. Akira sincerely hopes it stays that way.

~~~~~

Akira spends the next day focusing on his studies, the struggles in Okumura’s palace making themselves known in the form of grades, which seem to be suspiciously lower than they are supposed to be. Knowing he can’t afford any more trouble, despite still being sore and tired from the thieves’ escapades, Akira spends his afternoon in the diner, trying to catch up on the homework he forgot to finish before this whole ordeal started.

Trying is unfortunately the best way to describe the incoherent scribbles littering Akira’s notebook. Despite his best intention in concentrating on studying, he can’t help but feel his mind wonder elsewhere.

The day before, Akira was to overjoyed to process his feelings and current standing clearly. Now however, looking blankly at the papers in front of him, hearing the background noise of the other customers chatting around him, feeling the soothing taste of rain in the air, Akira can only focus on what this day has yet to offer.

Maybe Morgana is right. Maybe it’s not gonna be so easy after all. Maybe Akechi really does have an ulterior motive in continuing their friendship, as feeble as it is. The detective has been acting strange lately, surprising Akira with how unexpectedly he is behaving.

But then again, Akira isn’t doing much better. Being presumptuous during their last conversation in Leblanc, and being desperate enough to not wait for Sojiro’s explanation and running after the detective instead is telling enough. He can’t imagine doing this for anybody from their group, probably calling them later instead of losing his head over meeting with them.

_But I don’t even have his number._

Should Akira make it his next achievement, getting Akechi’s number? It would be so much easier to make plans like this, instead of waiting for a random chance of seeing him around the town.

No, he’s getting distracted again. It’s just about being friendly enough to not give himself away, not about deepening their bond. That’s all there is to it.

But Akira can’t help but let his mind wonder about how amused Akechi was to see him yesterday, how his eyes shone with entertainment at Akira’s lame attempt to compose himself after running around the neighborhood, looking for him. How his smile was the genuine one this time, not the fake one he presents his audience with.

And just like that, Akira forgets about any ill intention Akechi might have towards him, and decides that no matter what, seeing that smile again tonight is gonna be worth the risk.

~~~~~

It’s been raining all day without stopping and Akira comes back to Leblanc fast, not wanting to spend any more time than needed in this kind of weather. Evening already arrived, and he finds himself in the café not early enough to waste time upstairs waiting for Akechi, but late enough for all of Sojiro’s patrons to be gone already. He’s still a little apprehensive, but set on making the most of the upcoming meeting.

“You’re in a surprisingly good mood today.” Sojiro remarks as Akira enters the store. So despite the rain it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Ugh, don’t even get me started on this. He’ll never learn, Boss” Morgana comments spitefully, despite Sojiro not understanding a word he says. Akira passes his guardian, with comment on how he’s going to help him run the café in a moment, and goes upstairs.

“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re grumpy. Now stay here, please. It’s better if you don’t distract me.” Akira lets Morgana out of his bag, prompting the cat to leave and hope he’s not going to eavesdrop this time around.

“Oh, hell no! If you’re gonna act all smiley like yesterday I need to keep my eyes open and scratch you once in a while to keep you grounded!” Morgana pouts.

While having audience might make Akira more nervous and scared he might screw up the coffee, maybe it will at least keep him from overloading Akechi with unwanted questions and scaring him off again, so Akira reluctantly agrees. “Alright, but stay out of sight and be quiet. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you.”

“Yeah, you don’t. But watch yourself, when you’re around him it looks like you’re under some sort of spell or something. Don’t screw this up.”

Once Akira changes to his casual clothes and goes downstairs to help Sojiro, the only thing is to wait for the detective to arrive.

It isn’t long before Akira hears the bells, announcing the arrival of the expected customer as Akechi steps into Leblanc.

What Akira wasn’t expecting however, is the state in which the brunette arrives.

Akechi is drenched from head to toe, his hair in complete disarray and his coat resembling a wet rag, rather than a trademark for a TV celebrity. He steps on the mat in front of the door, careful not to get any water on the floor, his shoes covered in mud and his pantlegs sticking to him uncomfortably. Akechi smiles shyly, clearly embarrassed by his miserable image “Um… hello, Kurusu-kun. I’m sorry for my appearance, I seem to have forgotten to take my umbrella in the morning. Do you by any chance have any towel or handkerchief I could use?”

From the moment Akechi walked into the store Akira was dumbstruck. He would never expect that in his entire life he would see the detective so unkempt, so different from what the public usually sees. He can’t say he’s happy to see him like this, his soaked clothes are uncomfortable to look at, much less wear, but there is something so honest about the way Akechi looks. Granted, it definitely wasn’t his choice to get himself in this situation, but still, Akira feels like it’s a breath of fresh air.

Sojiro eyes Akechi with a disapproving look “Geez kid, if it was such a hassle to get here you shouldn’t have come all this way. People prefer to sit at home in this weather anyway.”

_No._

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly miss this meeting. After all, I promised Kurusu-kun to meet him today and it would be extremely rude of me to not show up without notifying him first”

_Score._

“Akira, go and fetch him a towel, stop standing around.” Sojiro commands.

Akira finally snaps out of his trance and walks upstairs to search for some clean towels he keeps there. Once he finds what he is looking for, he comes back downstairs.

Akechi in the meantime took off his coat and put in on the hanger, Sojiro sliding a bucket under it to keep it from staining the floor. The detective puts his tie on a hanger next to his coat, probably deciding that in this state, it’s only gonna restrict his movement. The brunette’s shirt seems to be soaked as well, sticking to his skin uncomfortably. Akira finds himself unable to look away, marveling at the way the material glides on Akechi’s glimmering skin and doesn’t seem to be too much of an obstacle in preventing Akira seeing the well-defined muscles on his stomach.

_Oh no._

“Stop staring and come here.” Sojiro interrupts, Akira immediately feels his face turn red at being called out. Akechi looks up, his eyes meeting Akira’s but quickly looking away, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. Akira walks up to Akechi, not looking at him and hands him the towels, standing back to not interrupt him while he tries to dry himself off.

The towels quickly turn out to not be sufficient enough in their task, seeing as they get wet through and through almost immediately after being used. That’s when Sojiro comes up with an idea.

“Hey Akira, take him upstairs and lend him some of your clothes, would you? He’ll get himself a cold at this rate.”

_Oh no. Oh nononononono..._

Akira hears Morgana snicker quietly behind the counter.

Now that Akechi doesn’t seem to be dripping water everywhere, it doesn’t seem to be an unreasonable request. Both boys are similar in size and it seems to be the only option, what with the brunette’s own clothes being unusable at the moment.

Akira doesn’t even know how he manages to hold a straight face when he agrees to the suggestion.

“Good. I don’t think anyone else is gonna come here today so I’ll head home” Sojiro announces and heads for the door. “Take care of your friend, Akira.” And with that he’s out.

Akira leads Akechi upstairs, hoping the detective can’t see the inner turmoil he’s currently struggling with. Once they’re standing in the attic, Akira sees the brunette eyeing the place curiously, hand under his chin. “Oh, right. You haven’t seen this place yet. Sorry, it’s not the most presentable room.” Akira twirls his hair subconsciously.

“Not at all. I can definitely see the appeal. It’s big, but at the same time it feels cozy.” Akira can see Akechi walking around the room, examining all the details. Suddenly Akira feels nervous. The attic doesn’t exactly look inconspicuous, the gifts occupying most of his shelves, his workbench practically giving away there is more to Akira than meets the eye.

Unfortunately, the workbench is apparently the most curious object in the room, because Akechi stands next to it, inspecting it carefully. “Are these… lockpicks?” Akechi asks with disbelief.

“W-well… it was already here when I transferred to Tokyo. I thought I might as well use it for something.”

“I hope you’re not engaging in any questionable activities, Kurusu-kun. Otherwise I might have something to say about this.” Akechi adds with a playful smirk, but Akira can’t help but freeze at his words. The original purpose of coming upstairs completely slipped his mind.

“No, of course not! It’s just a hobby I picked up when I had nothing better to do.” Akechi looks at him suspiciously but says nothing else. He turns around with the intention of glancing at the numerous gifts given to Akira by his friends, but something else catches his attention.

“… Are you sleeping on crates?” It seems there is something else that can surprise the detective even more than lockpicks.

“I don’t really have much of a choice. Originally this room looked like storage, there wasn’t any bed here and crates seemed to be the only option for making one.”

“This looks awfully uncomfortable. I can’t imagine how you manage to get enough sleep like this.”

“Why imagine when you can try for yourself.”

_WHAT_

Akira doesn’t feel like himself. Someone must have taken control of his body and say it in his stead. He freezes on the spot, his face even more red than before, sweat appearing on his forehead.

_What the hell. What. The. Hell. Stupidstupistupid…_

Morgana is going to kill him.

He chances a glance at Akechi, who apparently isn’t doing better than Akira. What he can see of the brunette’s face at this angle is definitely red, his head turned away from Akira, trying to look occupied by the other elements present in the attic. This damn shirt still sticking to his skin, transparent, like it’s not even there. “Um…”

“T-that was… a… a joke, sorry.” Akira tries to salvage the situation, even though it’s painfully clear that after his stammering and how flustered he is, it probably wasn’t a joke, not entirely at least.

Akechi clears his throat, opens his mouth to say something, tries to come up with a clever response to Akira’s teasing, but struggles with it and ultimately closes his mouth again. Akira feels a little better knowing he’s not the only one looking like a mess right now.

“I-… That is-… H-have you found any clothes that I could borrow by any chance? As you have _clearly noticed_ I don’t think I will be able to stay in mine for longer without a high chance of getting a cold.”

Akira wants to die on the spot. Not only did he embarrass himself with his stupid joke but now he’s being called out on his gawking again, by the target of said gawking himself, no less.

The ravenette thinks he’s had enough awkwardness for one day and tries to speed up his search, quickly finding a shirt he rarely uses, white with a black star, and a black pair of jeans, hastily giving them to Akechi.

“I’ll leave so you can change. I’ll make you some coffee in the meantime.” He says, finally finding his voice enough to not make a fool of himself. He doesn’t wait for the detective to answer, instead he runs down the stairs like his life depends on it.

When he reaches the counter he notices Morgana standing behind it, looking so done with Akira’s bullshit like never before. “Should I even start?” The cat says slowly, his words dripping with disappointment.

“I know, I have no idea what came over me.” Akira whispers while he gets to work, hoping that at least this way he won’t have to think about the situation he got himself into.

Few minutes later, when Akira is almost done preparing the coffee, he hears the stairs creaking.

Akechi comes down the stairs, looking absolutely not-Akechi. Akira’s clothes fit him well, being exactly the perfect size. The style however is so unusual for the brunette, Akira can’t help but stare once again, the fact that these are his clothes Akechi is wearing doesn’t help him concentrate one bit.

To avoid further embarrassment, Akira diverts his attention elsewhere with difficulty, making sure he doesn’t screw up the coffee on top of everything else. Akechi meanwhile sits down at his usual seat, looking slightly uneasy.

“Here you go” says Akira, serving Akechi his coffee. The brunette takes a sip, smiling lightly “My apologies, Kurusu-kun. I didn’t mean to cause you so much trouble, much less because of my forgetfulness. Sakura-san was right, maybe I should have gone home instead of bothering you.” He looks down apologetically.”But I simply couldn’t just not show up after I promised to be here today.”

_Alright, here we go._

“So, uhhh… Maybe we should exchange numbers, so the next time something like this happens you can let me know?” Akira asks hopefully.

Akechi looks at him with consternation, but his eyes soften after few seconds, considering his options. “Well, I don’t see why we shouldn’t, actually.” He smiles at Akira, that one smile the thief was looking for, the genuine one that melts his heart.

Akira can feel Morgana’s claws digging in his leg but at this moment he couldn’t care less. Finally, after their stormy beginnings, it feels like something is working out right. When Akira makes sure he got Akechi’s number wrote down correctly, he sends him first text message.

 **Akira** : so… you come here often?

Once Akechi sees the message he tries to hide the chuckle that tries to force its way out of his lips, “I already regret that decision.” He remarks with amusement in his voice.

“Oh come on, that’s not even the worst I can do.” Akira can’t help but let smile overtake his expression, that kind of smile that he’s sure won’t leave him until the end of the day, and make his legs so scratched up, in the morning he won’t be able to feel them.

After the initial awkwardness passed, the boys felt like they could finally talk in peace. Akira couldn’t remember half of what they were talking about, small remarks about their day, complaining about homework, Akechi’s job, Akira’s part time jobs, small, seemingly insignificant things that still felt like everything to Akira.

After talking for an hour that seemed to stretch forever, it was time for Akechi to leave. As he was leaving, Akechi made sure that if he’s recognized, even if his style might be butchered forever, at least his hair is perfectly groomed. Akira even let him use his umbrella, saying that if he feels guilty about keeping it together with his clothes, he will feel obliged to come back to Leblanc as early as tomorrow.

As they parted, Akechi taking all of his belongings and walking back into the rain, Akira felt that all information he learned that day pale in comparison to one, big revelation.

He is terribly, irreversibly smitten with the detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, welcome to your usual "Akechi forgot his umbrella and Akira is thirsty" AU. I didn't plan half of the things in this chapter, they just came to me; is this how you adopt a story?


	4. Chapter 4

_There is a Boy, learning to feel anew._

_There is a Café, its light finally finding someone to shine for._

~~~~~

“You’re a goddamn moron, you know that?” 

Akira barely hears Morgana’s insults flying close to his ear, what with the pillow pressed so tightly to his face. The boy is lying on his side, knees close to his chest and screaming, albeit quietly, for the last fifteen minutes.

He is a mess, he knows that. And his life is going to turn into one too, if he decides to pursue his newfound feelings. And even if he doesn’t, Akira is sure to suffer one way or another, be it from his own denial or his scratched legs, which seem to be the price for today’s jackpot.

When Akechi walked out of Leblanc, Akira was still standing behind the counter. He was staring at the door for the next five minutes, feeling like he already started to miss the brunette, despite talking to him for an hour moments ago. He only came back to himself when Morgana started jumping on the counter to get his attention. 

The cat was talking but Akira’s mind was short-circuiting, closing the café and silently walking upstairs on auto-pilot. Morgana was talking. He changed to his pajamas, went to the bathroom for a quick wash-up and came back to his bed. Morgana was still talking. And now here he is, screaming into his pillow, with Morgana trying to knock some sense into him.

And that’s what the thief wants to do, he really does. He would love nothing more than sit with Morgana and go over the whole encounter, pinpointing what he should and shouldn’t be doing. Maybe it’s wrong, maybe he’s just acting on impulse, maybe that’s not his real, true feelings, maybe it really is just a phase. But he can’t, all of these thoughts are muffled, buried under only one feeling.

He is happy.

He is so, _so_ happy.

He feels like his heart is singing the sweetest tune he ever heard in his life. He feels warm all over, not cooling down even under Morgana’s scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, after what seems like eternity, Akira begins to calm down enough to stop screaming and for his eyes to peek out from behind the pillow, but not enough to let it go just yet. His words are still muffled when he pathetically whimpers, “Morgana, what do I do?”

The cat, however, after giving Akira a whole lecture on not being a dumbass, finally fell silent. A few seconds of intense stare down from both sides pass, and Morgana finally speaks up. “I don’t wanna be a human anymore.”

“Fair enough.”

Morgana sighs, “So, what I _think_ I gathered for the last twenty minutes of your incoherent screaming, is that you have a crush on Akechi.” Akira nods. “You’re crushing on your enemy.” Another nod. “Can you like, not?” Akira can’t nod to this.

Another sigh from Morgana, “Ok, so… let’s turn this around then. Can you try and seduce him to throw him off the trail?” 

“Are you serious? Unless he’s attracted to stuttering fools, unable to flirt with straight face then maybe I still have a chance.” The pillow is finally free, Akira speaking up with no restraint this time. 

“You’re good at acting, can’t you just pretend?” 

“You clearly don’t know how human feelings work.” Akira remarks.

“Well good, cause I don’t want to be one anymore anyway. Seriously though, how are you planning to deal with this?” Morgana asks, formal tone starts to come back to his words.

How indeed. Should he try and do something about it? Is it worth it? And more importantly, is Akechi even interested? He certainly looked as flustered as Akira, but maybe he was just feeling self-conscious. After all, he was almost half-naked in Akira’s room and forced to wear his clothes. Akira shudders at the thought. 

_Goddammit, stop it._

“I have no idea what to do. Just… let me think. Maybe when I calm down enough I’ll think this through.” Akira decides, laying on his back and looking at the ceiling. 

Morgana looks at him sadly. “We don’t really have time though. Soon we’ll finish Okumura’s Palace, be even more popular, things will end up getting more risky. We can’t be allowed even a single misstep, you know that. What do you think will happen if you start inviting Akechi here more often? I think it’s safe to say he already has his suspicions, he even asked about the workbench.”

“I know, really, I’m aware of that. But… I’ll do something about it, I promise. Just… give me some time.” Akira closes his eyes.

“As long as it’s not gonna end in all of us going straight behind bars, I’ll trust you. I’ve had enough for one lifetime.”

_If it’s Akechi who will handcuff me, I don’t mind._

“I’m not even gonna try and guess what you’re thinking about, Akira.”

“Oh come on! I’m not _that_ obvious, am I?” Akira exclaims. 

Morgana looks at him with eyes that show he’s a hundred years old man, lived through at least three wars and had twenty wives.

“Alright, alright, maybe I am that obvious.”

Morgana jumps on the windowsill with a sigh and pushes the window open. “Maybe you’re not really that great of an actor after all.”

“I’m honored you ever thought of me as one.” Akira remarks jokingly. “Where are you going?”

“I’m sleeping at Futaba’s today. I feel tired just from looking at you.” He says in a tone that clearly shows the cat just fought in his fourth war and divorced his twenty-first wife. 

“Oh come on, how am I supposed to fall asleep if I have no one to remind me of it?”

“Something tells me you’re not going to sleep tonight anyway, so that’s your problem, bye!” Morgana yells from the roof he’s already standing on, trying not to slip on wet tiles and disappears into the night.

He’s not wrong. The second Morgana is out of sight Akira starts replaying the whole conversation he had with Akechi in his head. Not really thinking he reaches out for his phone and types a message to him.

 **Akira** : are you home?

After few minutes he gets a reply.

 **Akechi** : Yes, I just came back. Do you need something?

_You…_

**Akira** : nah, just wondering. hope you managed to stay out of the rain

 **Akechi** : Ah, yes, your umbrella helped immensely. I’ll have to return it to you next time we meet.

 **Akira** : how about tomorrow?

 **Akechi** : Why, do you miss me already? 

_Damn this man._

**Akechi** : In all seriousness though, I’m afraid my schedule is packed and I won’t be able to meet you tomorrow. Don’t worry, your belongings are safe with me.

_God, I wish I was my umbrella right now._

**Akira** : no problem, I understand

 **Akechi** : I’m glad. I’m sorry, but I have to go.

 **Akira** : alright, sorry for bothering you, goodnight!

Akira doesn’t get a response to his last text. He doesn’t need to, even that small bit of interaction is enough to put his heart at ease. For now anyway. 

Akira thinks he’s had enough excitement for one day and decides to at least try and get some sleep. It’s easier said than done, but the ravenette is not complaining. When sleep finally overtakes him, he knows it will be the best rest he’s had for the last few weeks.

~~~~~

Akira regrets all his life choices that led him to this moment. He’s standing under the Leblanc’s awning, thinking how the hell is he gonna make it to the subway station without his umbrella. The rain just won’t stop, it’s just straight out pouring from the sky and he has classes in an hour. 

“That’s what you get for being a dumbass.” Morgana helpfully points out from the bag he’s hidden in. 

With no options left for consideration, he says his prayers and makes a mad dash outside, trying to get to the station and not look like a wet rat before getting to it. He passes few people with umbrellas walking down the street, trying to maneuver around them and not slip on the wet ground. Once he manages to get to his destination his hair is a mess and his clothes are wet, but it’s not as bad as it could’ve been. 

While he stands on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive, Akira starts to scan his surroundings, hoping to meet a certain detective with a particular object of his that will greatly help him in today’s endeavors. 

By reverse psychology, it is said that wishing something doesn’t happen, will definitely make this thing happen, so Akira starts thinking back to his previous chat with Akechi. After all, the detective is busy, he said so himself. His schedule is _so_ full, he has _absolutely no_ time for Akira, he’s probably using his umbrella right now, running around the city and solving cases like a great detective he is. 

Really, there is _no possible way_ that today, of all times, he’s gonna bump into-

“Hello, Kurusu-kun.”

_Yesssssssssssssss._

Akira turns his head, and sure enough Akechi is standing next to him, smiling politely and holding Akira’s umbrella, his own dripping water on the floor.

“I was hoping I could see you here. I expected clear skies today, but it seems I miscalculated. I wish I could have given you your umbrella back before you walked out of Leblanc, but I couldn’t make it there early enough.” True to his words, the brunette looks like he could use few more hours of sleep. Even with a slight make-up, the bags under his eyes are still visible and he looks more tired than usual.

“Oh, no problem, I managed somehow. Take it as a revenge for you having to come to Leblanc yesterday without it.” Akira takes his umbrella from Akechi and looks up at him. “Are you okay, though?”

The detective is taken aback, his expression tensing. “Yes, of course. Why are you asking?” His voice is definitely hoarse. 

“I can see the bags under your eyes and your voice is raspy as all hell. You sure you didn’t get yourself sick?” Akira asks worryingly. 

Akechi puts on his TV smile, the one Akira hates the most, trying to maintain his perfect composure but not fooling the ravenette. “I assure you, I’m alright. I admit, I stayed up a little late last night, but the circumstances were dire. I’ll make sure to try and sleep at a decent hour today.” Akechi promises. 

The distant rumble of the train interrupts their conversation and the detective looks at Akira apologetically. “Excuse me, but I need to go. I’ll be sure to make time for you sometime this week.” he remarks with a gentle smile.

Akira, feeling a little cocky, responds in overdramatic voice “Are you running away again, honey?”

Having walked away few steps already, Akechi halts and turns around slightly, sending Akira a sly grin. The ravenette can feel the hair on his neck standing up. “Make sure the dinner is on the table when I get back, darling.” And with that he boards the train.

_He’s a devil._

When Morgana feels it’s safe to finally come out of the bag, he can’t help but throw five cents of his own, “Remind me what you see in him, again?”

“Ok, so first of all he’s-“

“That was a rhetorical question, you idiot!” Morgana screams out, attracting attention of few people standing in their near vicinity. Akira is more than happy to shove the cat back into his hiding place and squeezing it a little bit too tightly, holding it like that until they finally arrive at Shujin.

~~~~~

Two days had passed since the thieves managed to finish Okumura’s palace, and Akira couldn’t be more grateful for that. What he’s _not_ grateful for, however, is the amount of studying he has to get done to catch up with the rest of the class. Now, that a huge chunk of his worries fell from his shoulders, it shouldn’t be a big problem, he never actually had problems with remembering class materials. Not if there is nothing to distract him, anyway. 

Which there is apparently, more often than not. Now that Akira has more time to focus on his friends, he ends up being dragged around the city constantly. Yesterday he managed to finally progress the state of Futaba’s promise list and learn more about the way of brewing coffee from Sojiro. Today he spent his afternoon at a photo shoot with Ann, being invited for crapes right after and ending up talking till late evening. 

Despite being flooded with request about being needed somewhere, running errands, learning new things and generally being a great friend everyone needed Akira to be, he never forgot about one person who managed to find a special place in his heart. 

And it’s not going as wonderfully as Akira would like it to go.

He tried to take it slow, realizing that being clingy will only make him look more desperate. So instead of sending another text message to Akechi right after they last parted in the station, he waited few hours. Like that was gonna make all the difference. 

It didn’t. Not because Akechi thought Akira was being annoying or overbearing, but because he hasn’t replied ever since. And it wasn’t the only message that was left unnoticed. Akira sent few more the next day, seeing the reply still wasn’t there. But again, his texts were left unread.

Akira was getting progressively more worried as the days passed, no sigh from Akechi since the last time he saw him. He can’t count on his interviews anymore, since he rarely gets invited to any as of late, seeing as the Phantom Thieves’ popularity is at its peak. Akira doesn’t know where the detective works or where he lives, otherwise he could try and check on him. Although he isn’t sure if that wouldn’t count as stalking, and having the actual Detective Prince involved could only end up badly for Akira.

He figured the brunette is just busy. Akira must stop feeling like he’s privileged to text or meet Akechi every day. Maybe that’s normal, maybe the detective is known for not reading his messages for days and then coming back to the topic like nothing happened. Akira can’t know that.

But the feeling of apprehension is still weighing heavily on the thief’s mind. His fingers itch to send another message in hopes of finally getting a reply. It turns out he doesn’t need to wait for much longer.

When Akira is on the train back to Yongen-Jaya, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. The feeling of immense relief washes over him when he notices the sender. Unfortunately, it isn’t very long-lived. 

**Akechi** : are yuo in leblanc??

_What the fuck?_

Akira hasn’t been texting with Akechi for longer than few messages, but even after that he noticed his texts are nothing short of immaculate. To see something like this, no capital letters in sight and a typo on top of that, manages to put Akira’s heart in overdrive. He types a reply few seconds after he received the message. 

**Akira** : I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Did something happen?

He feels like applying Akechi’s method of writing might put him at ease, but it only put more contrast between both texts. Looking at the screen Akira hopes that Akechi is able to see the urgency in his message and it will prompt him to reply faster.

Ten minutes later, when Akira leaves the station and runs back to Leblanc, there is still no reply. He wonders if the brunette is waiting for him inside or if he’ll manage to be there before him. The text doesn’t even say Akechi plans on visiting the café, but it’s the only clue he has at the moment and Akira has no intention of letting it go.

“Hey Akira, what’s the hurry?” Morgana asks, poking his head out of the bag. 

“It’s Akechi.” Akira briefly replies, not bothering with explanation. 

“Of course, it is. Are you gonna have another date?” 

“Something’s wrong.” Akira replies swiftly, not even acknowledging Morgana’s teasing. The cat doesn’t ask any more questions, noticing the seriousness in the boy’s voice. 

When he storms into Leblanc, what awaits him is the emptiness, save for Sojiro reading a newspaper and looking up at him. “Ah, you’re back. I was wa-“

“Was Akechi here?” Akira asks, not waiting for his guardian to finish his sentence. 

Sojiro doesn’t answer at first, shocked at how arrogant Akira can apparently be. He quickly changes his expression upon seeing the desperation and worry on the boy’s face.

“Not today, I didn’t. Is something wrong?”

Akira tries to hide his concern and walks up to Sojiro. “He texted me earlier, asking if I’m in Leblanc, but… it doesn’t look like he wrote the message, it’s not like him at all. I was hoping he’d be here. Maybe he’ll show up later.” Akira hopes.

“Well, I can leave the place to you, then. I’m going home, wait for him if you want, but don’t leave the lights on for too long.” Sojiro instructs and leaves the café. 

With his guardian gone, Akira is left to tend to the café. He’s almost hundred percent sure no one else is gonna show up today, but he leaves the lights on, and the sign still turned to ‘open’, just in case Akechi decided to drop by. 

And so he waits.

And waits.

 **Akira** : Are you okay?

An hour passes with no sign from the detective. At this point Akira is just a bundle of nerves, trying to not walk in circles and find something to distract himself with. During the time he’s waiting, he has to turn down all the other people that want to hang out with him today and manages to explain the situation to Morgana. Surprisingly, the cat doesn’t have the heart to mock Akira this time, waiting with him and trying to calm him down.

 **Akira** : Akechi, please.

When it’s time for the ravenette to close Leblanc, he hesitates and tries to assess the situation. Akechi’s question doesn’t guarantee he’s gonna show up. Maybe he was just super busy and didn’t pay attention to what he was writing. Maybe the work keeps him from coming over, and it’s the reason he can’t reply.

But it’s already half an hour past closing and Akira can’t afford to wait anymore.

 **Akira** : I’ll buy you the most expensive sushi I can find if you’ll talk to me.

Maybe these are the words the brunette was waiting for, because few seconds later Akira hears someone at the door. At first it seems like whoever is there is struggling with finding a doorknob, but soon enough the door opens, and in walks Akechi.

Or hobbles more like, judging by the state he’s in. The brunette looks like death itself. Akira can’t say he’d ever seen a man so pale, the bags under Akechi’s eyes seem to have acquired a will of their own and Akira can see the detective is shaking from a mile away. 

The thief is by Akechi’s side in a second, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Morgana keeps watch as well, and despite his previous reservations he can’t help but hover close, in case he’s needed for something.

It’s then that Akechi tries to slur out a greeting. “M-my a-apologies… Kurusu-kun. I… I realize how late it is, but…” the brunette tries to compose himself, doing a wonderful job despite the state he’s in, “there was nowhere else I could go at the moment.” Akechi finishes without troubles this time, even though the raspiness of his voice from few days ago seemed to morph into a full blown hoarseness. Akira is sure the last visit in Leblanc is the reason for the brunette’s current condition, and he probably left all of the flu symptoms untreated for so long it led to the situation at hand. 

No wonder his message looks so unlike himself. In contradiction to his words, the detective doesn’t even look all that aware of his surroundings. His eyes are unfocused and half-lidded, his breathing uneven and shallow. He weakly struggles to free himself from Akira’s grasp but fails, deciding to lean on him instead. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Akira replies, suddenly aware that he should finally say something back. “I’m just glad you made it.”

Akira leads Akechi to sit in the booth, not trusting the detective to sit on the chair in fear of him collapsing after letting him go. Once the older boy makes it to the booth, he tries to straighten his back, putting both hands on the table. Akira hovers over him, unsure of what to do. He rarely gets sick, and even then it’s more of a passing cough or running nose, never anything like this. 

Akechi clears his throat and speaks up, “M-my apartment has a faulty heating system, t-they haven’t been able to make it work properly for few days now.” He clears his throat again, his voice getting worse with each sentence. “It’s the only warm place I could think of.” He adds, nearly whispering by the end of his speech, his head drooping and eyes closing.

Akira decides he doesn’t want the detective’s voice to give out completely, so he steps in and declares, “I understand. I’ll make you some hot tea, try to warm you up a little. And stop talking, we don’t want to make it even harder for your voice.” Akira is surprised with how quickly his previous apprehension turned into conviction. It feels like he’s in a Metaverse, giving instructions to his teammates, subconsciously taking the role of a leader and dispelling everyone’s worries.

Akira turns to Morgana on his way to the kettle, “Can you watch him for a second?” he whispers.

“What can I do?” The cat, even thought he probably can’t do much by himself, nods with confidence. 

“Just… make sure he doesn’t fall asleep.” Akira looks back at Akechi, who already looks like he’s ready to plunge his head into the table any second now and not get up for two days straight. The raven turns around quickly to get to making tea, not wanting to waste any time. 

It turns out asking Morgana for help wasn’t such a great idea as Akira initially thought. The cat jumped on the table in front of Akechi, which aggravated the brunette’s already too sensitive nose and he lets out a loud sneeze, covering his face just in time with surprisingly quick reflexes.

Morgana lets out a loud yelp and leaves the table immediately, afraid he’ll only make everything worse by staying on it. Akechi in the meantime, sits crouched down and covers his face with his hand, shivering like a leaf, clearly having no energy left to even lift himself. Even given the instructions to not say a word, he manages to rasp out a weak “Tissue. Please.”

Akira reaches under the counter and takes a full package of tissues, handing them to Akechi, who still sits in the same position. Akira decides it’s better for him to stand away, giving the brunette time to wipe his nose while the ravenette carries on preparing the tea. 

From time to time Akira glances at Akechi, making sure he’s not sleeping, but after a minute he hears a hushed whisper. “Hey, kitty. I’m sorry I scared you.” Akechi manages to say, laying his head on the table and reaching his hand to try and pet Morgana, who in turn stares at Akira in confusion. Akira gives the cat A Look, silently asking him to come closer and not say anything.

Morgana looks at Akechi’s hand and meows convincingly, snuggling into it afterwards. The brunette laughs under his breath, which ends up being just a sharp exhale, but holds a gentle smile on his face. He scratches Morgana behind his ears, appreciating the softness of his fur, while the cat ponders how Akira will ever make it up to him. 

And the thief knows that very well. Right now, however, he couldn’t care less about Morgana’s vengeance. He observes the unusual sign with a smile of his own, feeling himself staring at Akechi yet again. He looks so open, the sickness leaving him with no walls he can hide behind. If not for the paleness of his skin and dark rings under his eyes he’d look like an angel.

_God, he’s cute._

And there’s Akira, who apparently can’t take anything seriously for long whenever Akechi is involved. 

He’s done with the tea, so he takes the cup and places it next to Akechi, who’s head is still on the table, the hand gently caressing Morgana’s fur. The cat himself looks like he’s never been this humiliated before, and would rather prefer a slow death in the fire rather than another second of this torture. Seeing an opportunity to escape when Akira sits down on the opposite side of the booth, Morgana pretends to run to his owner to sit on his lap, forcing Akechi to finally look up. 

The detective reluctantly turns his head, lifting himself of the table and trying to say something, only managing to make raspy sound and proceeding to have a coughing fit. Akira tries to get closer to the detective, hoping that at least with his presence he can help somehow, not really knowing how to prevent this. Once Akechi seem to be over it, Akira instructs, “Please, try not to talk anymore. That sounded really nasty.” 

_God, I suck at this._

While Akechi is more or less sitting upright and quietly begins to sip his tea, Akira pulls out his phone and writes a note in it, showing it to Morgana under the table. 

**[Go to Futaba, ask her if she has any medicine for the cold and bring it here.]**

Morgana gladly takes a chance to break out from this situation at least for a while, so he takes off immediately, going upstairs to escape through the window. 

While Akira wasn’t looking, Akechi apparently pulled out his own phone, scrolling through it and frowning at the screen. Then he looks up at Akira with guilty eyes, glances to the side, and after his eyes are set on the screen again he begins typing. Akira’s phone buzzes after few seconds.

 **Akechi** : im sorry i worried you

After reading a message Akira begins writing a reply, quickly remembering he’s not the one who seems to be losing his voice in this room.

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you made it here. How were you able to work like this? Couldn’t you take a day off?”

 **Akechi** : no days off for me

“Oh come on, did they force you to work in this state? I’m sure there is someone else who could take over your duties for few days.”

Akechi looks uncertain, eyes unfocused again, like his mind is struggling with an answer. He begins typing something but stops, deleting it. Then he does it again. Akira is so tempted to just lean over the phone or snatch it and read what the detective wants to say, but that would be crossing the line. Unless the brunette gives him an answer himself, he’s not going to pressurize him. 

Akechi decides on something way shorter than he previously seemed to go for.

 **Akechi** : im sorry

Akira sighs, figuring there is no point getting mad over something he can’t control. 

“Do you have work tomorrow?” Akira ends up asking, idea forming in his head.

 **Akechi** : only in the evening

“Perfect. It’s not gonna be a problem if you stay here until tomorrow, then.”

_Congratulations Akira, not even a hesitation this time._

Akechi, however, is another story. He stares at Akira with wide eyes like he just grew wings, but before he manages to form any kind of protest Akira speaks up. “You said you have no heating at your apartment right? It’s not gonna do you any good if you go back to a cold place, so just stay here tonight. I have a heater I can turn on for the night and I can sleep on the couch.”

Akechi still stares at Akira, then at his phone and then at Akira again. 

“So you tell me you’d rather drag yourself through the city to your cold apartment than stay with me, having a fun sleepover and telling each other ghost stories?” Comedy is Akira’s only escape. He just hopes the rest of the world has a sense of humor so he can get away with murder through shitty jokes.

Akechi, however, doesn’t seem to be amused, looking as confused as ever, but slowly accepting defeat. He begins typing.

 **Akechi** : you have school tomorrow

“It’s Saturday.”

Some color finally returns to the brunette’s face as he diverts his eyes from Akira in embarrassment, not remembering something as simple as what day it is. Then it disappears in an instant, as his eyes squeeze shut and his nose wrinkles before letting out another loud sneeze. Having a package of tissues already at hand, Akira is at least spared another trip to the counter. He almost forgot that one hot tea cannot cure a full-blown flu.

Which makes him remember the medicine he sent Morgana for, hoping the cat will be back soon, wanting to stuff Akechi with all the therapeutic goodies already, so he can stop worrying about this stupid, reckless idiot.

“So, how about it? Should we get you upstairs?” Akira is too tired and too relieved to finally see Akechi after fussing about the silent treatment for so long, he can’t even get flustered over the thought of having the detective in his bed.

_Maybe a little._

Akechi finally relents, setting the empty cup aside and standing up on unsteady legs. The ravenette is by his side in a flash, already feeling how the brunette relies more on Akira than his own strength. 

Somehow, after what seems like few minutes of hard struggle they manage to get Akechi in the attic, Akira letting go of him and situating him on his bed. While the detective tries to take in his surroundings, looking lost and delirious again, Akira tries to find his spare pajamas for Akechi to borrow. 

Just as Akira starts thinking about giving Akechi the medicine again, Morgana storms in through the window, leaving it wide open and letting a cool breeze flow through the attic, bothering Akechi and making him sneeze yet again. Morgana, who wasn’t expecting him to be there, slips on the windowsill and falls on the mattress with a loud yell, dropping the medicine he holds in his mouth. Which, in all seriousness, would be a hilarious sight, if not for Akira who just wants to get Akechi under a ton of blankets and for Morgana to for once not make everything worse.

Akira runs down the stairs to get the tissues again, and when he gets back he sees Morgana trying to get his bearings as he sits up, looking for the medicine he dropped and setting it on the workbench. He gives the tissues to Akechi, who’s covering his face with a sleeve, his eyelids drooping, the desire to sleep nearly overwhelming. 

Akira finally having found a fresh set of pajamas, leaves Akechi alone for a moment so he can change, telling him to send him a text once he’s done. He sincerely hopes the brunette won’t hurt himself somehow when he’s out of Akira’s sight. 

Morgana follows him downstairs, not wanting to risk another round of fur scratching. When Akira sits down on the chair he lets out a sigh, quietly asking the cat, “I assume Futaba knows what we need the medicine for?”

“Well, she has this place bugged, but it’s not like she’s constantly listening. She didn’t know Akechi’s here.”

 **Futaba** : good luck loverboy (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

“She knows now.”

Akira doesn’t even wanna ask how much the rest of the thieves know about his feelings for Akechi, deciding to get a glass of water instead so he can finally give the older boy something to make him feel better. When he sets the glass of water on the counter, his phone vibrates again.

 **Akechi** : im done

When the ravenette comes back upstairs, Akechi is already laying down under the blanket, head on the pillow and eyes closed, his phone still in his hand.

_Please, don’t make it harder for me._

Akira takes the medicine from the table, taking out two pills and walking up to the half-asleep Akechi, rousing him from his slumber. “Hey, before you sleep you need to take this.”

Akechi moves slowly, propping himself on one arm and taking the pills, putting them in his mouth. He tries to take the glass of water but Akira doesn’t want to risk him spilling the contents, so he puts the glass to Akechi’s lips and helps him drink.

Once they’re done, Akechi lays back down and falls asleep almost immediately, Akira bringing his hand to the detective’s forehead.

_At least there’s no fever._

There’s no guarantee it won’t show up later, though, which Akira really hopes it’s not gonna be the case. It’s already bad enough as it is, and the ravenette really doesn’t know how to deal with nursing someone back to health. He can only hope the full night sleep in a warm bed and some medicine will alleviate the worst of this cold, and in the morning Akechi will be coherent enough to get through the day.

Not like Akira would complain if the brunette stayed here for another night. Even a high chance of getting sick himself doesn’t bother him entertaining the thought.

Figuring he did what he could for Akechi, the ravenette prepares for the night, taking Akechi’s phone and putting it on the table and going downstairs for a quick wash-up. When he’s back upstairs, he takes a sit on the couch and tries not to think how sore he will be in the morning. Taking one more glance in Akechi’s direction, checking if he’s still sound asleep, Akira lays down and tries to relax, as uncomfortable as the couch might be.

The sleep doesn’t come easy to him that night. Not only is his back hurting only after few minutes of using the couch, but the sound of Akechi’s shallow and uneven breathing, revealing he’s still shivering even while having a heater next to him and being buried deep under the blanket, doesn’t ease Akira’s worries. 

But it turns out the real trouble is yet to come.

It starts with a phone call. Akira, who didn’t fall asleep yet, reaches his hand up to the table which he dragged closer to the couch, so he doesn’t need to get up for his phone. He takes his phone in hand, realizing it’s not the source of the buzzing. He doesn’t want to breach Akechi’s privacy, realizing it’s probably a late call from work, so he lets it go unanswered.

But it seems whoever’s calling is persistent enough to not stop on just one call, so he calls again. And again. And again. 

At this point Akira is irritated enough to consider picking up and telling them what for, but only settles on taking the phone and looking who wants to contact the detective at this hour. An unknown number. Akira figures it might be a common occurrence for a detective to receive calls from unknown numbers, solving crimes relies heavily on evidence from eye witnesses and some of them probably call on random hours when remembering something vital for the case.

Akira wishes that was the case.

The unknown number finally gives up and falls silent, giving Akira a chance to have some sleep. Not for long. The phone vibrates an hour later, waking up the ravenette who heavily considers waking up Akechi and making him pick it up. He looks at the brunette, who looks even paler in the moonlight, his breathing still labored, and Akira feels guilty even considering that option. 

What he does consider, however, is taking the phone downstairs so at least the buzzing can stop bothering him. He proceeds to do just that, but is stopped when instead of the call Akira can see an incoming text message. His blood runs cold when it shows up on the screen.

 **???** : You have until 8AM to contact me. You don’t want to suffer the consequences.

Akira stares at the screen, alarmed at the threatening tone of the message. Should he wake Akechi up? It can’t be just a random co-worker, judging by how forceful the message is. Is it his boss? And if it is, if he knows that Akechi is sick, what gives him the right to pester him even in the middle of the night. Is that the reason the detective can’t get enough sleep lately?

Akira looks at Akechi again, listening to his breathing and wondering what he should do. He doesn’t want to wake him up, he should get as much sleep as he can get. But even when he wakes up in the morning, there is no guarantee his voice will be up for what appears to be a lengthy phone call. 

Akira decides to set an alarm clock for 7AM, hoping to wake the detective up and tell him about the message, before the dreaded deadline comes. He sets Akechi’s phone on the table again, hoping no more phone calls will disturb his sleep, already fearing he won’t get any that night anyway.

~~~~~

“I’m sorry… Yes, I-… I was feeling unwell and-“

The sound of distant chatter rouses Akira from sleep. He looks around the room, still feeling a little dazed. He glances at his bed, noticing it’s empty. He immediately sits up, careful not to wake up Morgana, suddenly remembering the event from the middle of the night. 

“Yes, it has been taken care of… It wasn’t a problem.“

Akira stills, aware that Akechi is downstairs, talking with somebody. He checks the time. 6.50. Ten minutes until his alarm goes off. He cancels it and stands up quietly, walking up to the staircase, not wanting for his presence to be known.

“I need a little more time… The evidence is already in place, I just need the right time to put everything in motion.” Akechi talks with a surprising ease. The raspiness is not entirely gone, but his voice sounds trained, determined to not let his weakness show through it. 

It’s not that Akira wants to eavesdrop, that’s not his intention. He’s just curious what seems to be so important, enough to let somebody threaten Akechi over it. That’s what he tries to tell himself, slowly moving downstairs so he can hear more clearly, careful not to reveal himself through the creaking stairway. 

“I know… I assure you, the issue will be quickly resolved… “ Akira’s curiosity is piqued, he tries to strain his ears, Akechi nearly whispering his next words. 

“I promise, the leader of the Phantom Thieves will be eliminated by the end of the next month.”

Akira freezes. He can’t move a muscle. He can’t even hear Akechi’s words anymore. His breathing stopped, mind struggling to make sense of it all.

_Eliminated._

Akira barely registers the conversation ended, silence temporarily settling in the café.

_Evidence..._

The silence is disturbed when Akira hears the coughing, which grows in volume and urgency. Few seconds later Akechi wheezes pathetically, struggling to get enough air before another coughing fit. Akira figures he should go over there to help the detective somehow, but he can’t move. Akechi can’t know the thief heard him. He doesn’t know if he even wants to help him anymore.

_Taken care of…?_

Akira manages to snap out of it, and moves back into the attic slowly, taking advantage of the problems Akechi seems to have downstairs. He comes back to bed, sliding under the blanket with the gracefulness he doesn’t even know he possesses, or is capable of right now for that matter, careful not to stir the cat awake. Morgana can be a pretty heavy sleeper when it counts. And Akira needs him to be, if he wants to have enough time to come to terms with what he just heard.

It’s quiet again. After a minute Akira hears the footsteps slowly coming closer. If he really is a great actor, now it’s time to prove it. So when Akechi arrives upstairs and walks past Akira, the ravenette pretends to open his eyes for the first time this morning, looking as groggy as he can manage. He looks up at Akechi, yawning loudly and stretching, waking up Morgana in the process.

_He wants to kill me._

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Akira asks, trying to keep his voice steady. He notes with astonishment that the detective already changed into his own clothes, looking like he’s ready to walk out of Leblanc any moment. 

_Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad_ , Akira thinks with bitterness, but manages to hold a smile on his face.

“I’m fine now. I’m really grateful you allowed me to stay here for the night. I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother”, he finishes with a light chuckle, as much as his voice allows.

The brunette looks surprisingly well, considering the state he arrived in yesterday. His skin is still pale, but nothing like it was before. The voice still scratchy, but clearly there if needed. And he seems to be strong enough to walk by himself and not trip on his own feet.

_He wants me gone._

“Of course you weren’t. It was my idea anyway. Still, I wasn’t expecting you would be up so early, and well enough to walk around, apparently.”

Akechi runs his hand through his hair, “Yeah, well. It seems a safe and warm place to sleep works wonders after all.” He says with his trademark smile, but instead of causing a slight irritation at the sight of it, Akira can only feel regret and disappointment. With what, Akira isn’t sure yet, and doesn’t know if he’s ready to find out.

“Are you going already?”

“Yes, unfortunately. Something came up at work that needs my immediate attention. It seems I will not have a free afternoon, after all.”

_He lied to me._

Akira tries his best to look disappointed at the brunette’s departure, walking with him to the door to let him out. 

_Why are you doing this?_

The boys exchange quick goodbyes and Akechi is off. Akira doesn’t even want to think what his work entails anymore. Everyone else was right, in the end. Akechi is not to be trusted. Akechi is a murderer. He’s not a friend. He’s a snake, waiting in the grass for Akira to come closer so he can poison him. 

_What can I do to help?_

Maybe he’s poisoned already. He must be. All the information he learned that day should only drive him away. And yet…

_I know you don’t want this._

He stands alone by the counter. He thinks of all the times he met Akechi so far. He thinks of his smile. He thinks of his own convictions, how he was always sure there was something off about the detective. How small and sad he looks when he thinks people aren’t looking. How alone he must feel, despite being showered with fake attention.

_It’s okay._

It doesn’t change anything. He still has time. He can change this. He can confront Akechi about it, make him see the reason. 

_I’ll save you._

His feelings for Akechi are still there. They’re muffled, banished from the foreground of his mind, his brain screaming at him to get rid of them entirely. It’ll be okay. He can make this right. 

_I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I promise_ , amirite guys?
> 
> me on the 2nd chapter: write at least 3k words so it's not boring  
> me on the 4th chapter: *furiously writing 7k+ words* WHAT
> 
> Also, rating goes up because of swearing and also because Akira's imagination goes wild sometimes


	5. Chapter 5

_There is a Boy, known for rejection._

_There is a Barista, familiar with acceptance._

~~~~~

A sense of déjà vu washes over Akira, who still stands leaning on the counter, hearing Morgana talking but not really acknowledging it. It’s funny how just few days ago he was looking at the door with longing, now feeling only heartbreak and dejection. How the only sadness he felt was because of Akechi’s departure, now the same fact only filling him with relief.

He can finally hear it, Morgana’s nagging cutting the air. “I know you were hoping for another few hours of your rendezvous, but we can still come back to bed and get some more sleep.“

Morgana hops on the counter to get closer look at Akira’s face. “Hey, are you gonna ignore me again? Figures… At least spare the poor pillow this time.”

The raven’s eyes are still fixated on the floor, partially hidden beneath his hair. It’s too early for this, as ridiculously as it sounds. But it’s not like he’s just gonna sit here and wait for the blade to cut his head, so he continues to ignore Morgana, if only for few minutes longer.

He heads upstairs to get his phone, only to find out the plan forming in his head is already coming his way.

 **Futaba** : AKIRA EMERGENCY!!! ＼(º □ º l|l)/

_Does she ever sleep?_

**Akira** : I know, I heard it

 **Futaba** : IM COMING OVER

Akira figures he should be thankful for the fact that Futaba never sleeps. He must hear it again. Only to confirm it’s not just his mind playing tricks on him, even if it’s redundant at this point.

Akira makes quick work of preparing himself for the day to come, this morning already wearing him out more than any full day ever could, readying his mind for the taxing conversation he is sure to have in a few minutes.

He doesn’t want for the rest of the thieves to know about this yet. They will start panicking immediately, disregarding any of Akira’s thoughts without any consideration. He knows they mean well, and honestly it’s not just a matter of inconvenience, this time his life is on the line.

It’s better for him if he talks this through with just Futaba and Morgana first. Akira knows Morgana will protest against any kind of confrontation with Akechi, not even accepting his presence in any way, shape or form anymore. In the grand scheme of things, what does Akira’s feelings matter in this case. It’s easier to stay out of the way of anything that poses a threat, but when was Akira the one with any kind of self-preservation.

Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to stay away. In his mind, letting Akechi go out of sight is a dangerous concept. If he keeps him close, still act as a friend to him, welcome him with open arms and not with suspicion, maybe that will change something in the end. 

He doesn’t even know if Akechi is aware Akira is the one he is supposed to kill. He much prefers for his identity to be unknown, but in the past the detective already threw his subtle accusations the thieves’ way. 

If he does know, however, Akira dreads to think of the implications it puts on their entire relationship. Akira always knew he can’t trust Akechi. The recent discovery notwithstanding, the detective is their enemy, no matter how he looks at it. 

But knowing that every time he talked with Akechi, every conversation they had in the subway or in Leblanc, every friendly gesture from the brunette was to make Akira unaware to his malevolent intentions, that breaks the thief’s heart in the most painful way. 

Was Akechi never truly interested in Akira, as he always claims to be? Is every kind expression the brunette has to offer, every visit in Leblanc, every promise of the next meeting just a carefully crafted deceit?

There is no point in thinking any more about this. Akira already made his decision. Even if it damns him in the end.

Futaba storms in few minutes later, bringing her laptop with her and quickly taking over one of the booths. Hearing the commotion downstairs, Morgana comes down and unsuccessfully tries to get any answer on why Futaba is in Leblanc so early in the morning and what the hell is going on.

But all the questions die out in Morgana’s mouth once the voice rings out from the speakers.

_“I’m sorry… Yes, I-… I was feeling unwell and-… Yes, it has been taken care of… It wasn’t a problem. I need a little more time… The evidence is already in place, I just need the right time to put everything in motion. I know… I assure you, the issue will be quickly resolved… I promise, the leader of the Phantom Thieves will be eliminated by the end of the next month.”_

Akira sighs. It’s not like he expected to hear something else, but it still hurts. He looks up, meeting Morgana’s shocked expression. “Wait, when did that happen!?” Morgana asks, “Why didn’t you say anything, Akira?”

“I woke up and Akechi was already downstairs, talking with someone. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but… I was curious.” Akira admits.

“And good thing you did. I would have shown you this anyway, but it’s much better you heard it in person.” Futaba takes a look at Akira’s face, regret still clearly apparent in his eyes. “Um… I’m sorry, I know it must be hard for you, but we need to come up with a plan to prevent this!” Futaba finishes with a flare.

Akira tries to say something, but only manages a strangled sound before he’s interrupted.

“Agreed” Morgana cuts in, “there is no telling how much time we have until Akechi tries something. We need to act immediately.”

He should have think this through. Come up with strong arguments to make everyone listen to him. Now, however, Akira can’t even sort anything out in his head. There are so many things he wants to say, and yet how can he disagree with his friends? It’s true, they can’t waste any time, he is a fool if he thinks he can stop this all by himself. He knows Akechi doesn’t work alone, and if they have enough power to threaten the detective, then what a lone student can do?

And yet he perseveres.

At first they won’t even let him finish more than two sentences, constantly speaking over each other, trying to reason with him. So he pleads with them until they let him finish. He tells them about the night calls and the text message, how Akechi isn’t the one who orchestrates this entire scheme. And they listen, _truly_ this time.

They’re willing to wait, few days at most. Even if all they hope for Akira is to come back to his senses in that time. But they will wait. 

There are too many variables in this case, too many things that could go wrong if Akira is not careful. So once Futaba comes back home and Morgana follows her, both promising to keep their silence, Akira is left alone to think.

Now, with one problem less to think about, the ravenette has to come up with the best plan of approaching the detective next time. He’s not going to stay away. He wants to have a proper heart-to-heart, somehow without alarming Akechi that he knows about his intentions. Directly talking about it can only bring harm to them both. After all, Akira still doesn’t know how deeply rooted the detective is in this whole mess.

So against better judgment he decides to wait. He will text Akechi like nothing ever happened, hope he’ll see him in the subway so he can invite him to Leblanc again, or hope for the brunette to drop by without his invitation. It’s better for Akira to be on the familiar territory, where even Akechi seems to be the most relaxed. And if Futaba can record their conversation for him to go over again later, that’s just a bonus. Or a proof, if Akechi decides to be truthful with Akira.

With nothing else left to do but wait, Akira realizes that it’s still a very young hour. Not wanting to waste any more time, he gets up and heads outside. He figures he has nothing to fear, for now at least. Akechi is still sick, and if he’s the main piece for his assassination then today he can walk outside with no danger. He still has life left to live, even if there is already a date set on when it will end.

~~~~~

Of course, nothing is ever easy when it comes to Akechi. Getting a hold of the detective is surprisingly difficult, considering Akira used to meet him on the station nearly every day. Three days later, however, there is still no sign of the brunette anywhere. At this point Akira sincerely hopes his prolonged absence is still caused by his lingering sickness, not his apparent soon-to-be murder.

 **Akira** : hey, hope you’re doing okay, haven’t seen you in a while

It’s late in the evening when he sends a message, hoping he can at least wish the detective goodnight. If he replies that is.

Which doesn’t seem to be the case. Akira suspected that, but he still worries about the brunette. It’s funny, really. He doesn’t care about his own well-being, but burdens himself thinking about Akechi’s own.

An hour later, when Akira is slowly dozing off, he hears a faint buzz coming from the windowsill. Akira lifts his hand a little too quickly, hoping for the reply from Akechi. This time he’s not disappointed. 

**Akechi** : Good evening, Kurusu-kun. I’m sorry, but I’m really busy as of late. I’m alright, thank you for your concern.

 **Akira** : I’m glad! hope you’re taking better care of yourself since the last time

 **Akechi** : Ah, certainly. I’m really sorry for my last intrusion. I’ll repay you somehow.

 **Akira** : don’t do this again and we’re even

 **Akechi** : Of course. I’m sorry I worried you.

 **Akira** : yeah, you said that already. btw, you sure you’re not a phantom thief?

A longer pause.

 **Akechi** : I’m… unsure as to why you would think so…

 **Akira** : you stole my clothes and im worried for their well-being

 **Akechi** : Oh, haha! You’re right, I should give them back, shouldn’t I? 

**Akira** : I meaaaaaan… it’s fine if you want to wear them sometime

 **Akechi** : No!

Akira should rethink his plans. Not talking face-to-face gives him more advantages he could ever imagine. 

**Akechi** : I mean… I’m sure you need them more than I do.

 **Akechi** : I’m sorry, but I have to go. Goodnight.

 **Akira** : oh come on, no need to get so flustered about it, I told you you look good in them ;)

 **Akechi** : GOODNIGHT, Kurusu-kun.

Akira chuckles breathlessly, trying not to wake up Morgana. Futile effort, seeing as the cat stirs from his sleep and looks up at Akira’s face, lit up by his phone.

“Oh no. Don’t tell me.” he scrunches his face in disappointment.

“Something important came up, I needed to check it, I promise I’ll sleep in a minute.”

“So you’re smiling like a creep over this _something important_ , right?” the cat looks at Akira with a side-glance, clearly not buying it.

“W-well…” What can he say? Morgana knows about Akira’s infatuation with Akechi, not lessened even by the recent events.

“I really hope it means you’ll have a chance to talk to him. I know we promised not to tell anybody about this, but if you can’t meet up with him in the next few days we won’t wait any longer.”

“He’s… busy. But if I won’t be able to invite him to Leblanc soon, I’ll tell everybody myself.”

Morgana nods. “Good. Now, can we please get some sleep?”

Akira relents, but sends one last text before putting his phone away. He wants to retain his text message advantage for as long as he can.

 **Akira** : goodnight :*

~~~~~

There is no possible way Akira could find himself in a worse position that he is right now. No phantom thievery, no secret plots to take his life can compare to this exact moment. He just wanted to get to school on time, but instead found himself in a subway station, chased by two thugs demanding vengeance.

It started simply enough, just a typical day for a typical highschooler on a _not_ typical probation. He got to the station on time, not too late, not too early. Akira really hoped to meet Akechi today, not being given much more time left in his pursue of a meet-up. He tried to search for the brunette somewhere in the crowd, not finding him, but instead taking notice of something else. 

There is an alleyway that leads to the stairs outside, with an indentation in it, wide enough for a group of people to fit in. There was a woman, wedged between the wall and two men, clearly looking uncomfortable and shaken. Akira should have known better at this point. He shouldn’t have pried and left this woman alone with her troubles. But it reminded him too much of a scene that led to his probation. Reminded him too much of the fact that, if given the chance, he would do the same thing again.

So instead of looking away, he walked up to the thugs. When they were in his hearing range, his suspicions were confirmed, the thugs’ presence was clearly unwanted. He stepped closer and spoke up “Leave her alone.”

The men seemed perplexed for a second, looking at each other and turning around, their smiles turning even more malicious. “And what do we have here, huh? A little hero thinks he can save his damsel?” The other man just laughed, still watching out for the girl so she wouldn’t run away.

“I’ll give you an advice, kiddo. Don’t mess with adults’ business and scram.” 

Why he ever though it’s a good idea is beyond him.

“I don’t listen to people who can’t take their own advice.”

_Now I’ve done it._

“Heh, you think you’re so fuckin’ smart, eh? You shoulda listened when I gave you a chance to back off.” And instead of giving Akira any more of oh so useful advice, proceeded to haul off with an intention to hit, but before he could do that, Akira did it for him. 

_Months in Metaverse finally pay off._

Akira only started to regret his decision when he noticed the other thug leaning from the wall, charging at him with murder in his eyes, the first one still recoiling from Akira’s punch.

So instead of trying his luck with fighting two grown man in the real world, he took of immediately and started to run. He could worry about his undignified response to the situation at hand later, without his face being bruised up.

He runs through the crowd as fast as he can, caring little for the people he’s jostling along the way. He can see Morgana worming his way out of the bag in the commotion, Akira hoping he can somehow notify somebody about his regrettable situation. Unfortunately for him, in the midst of running for his life he seemed to have totally forgotten a layout of the station, inevitably driving himself into a corner. Before he knows it, he’s being shoved against the wall, head thumping hard on the surface, fist twisted into his shirt.

Before his vision can clear, the only thing Akira’s aware of is a fist raised in the air, heading in his direction. He can do nothing but close his eyes and turn his head away, hoping it will somehow help him avoid the worst of the bruises. But a moment later the fist still doesn’t connect. 

“What the-“ the thug starts questioningly, and Akira opens his eyes out of curiosity.

A gloved hand holds the thug by his arm, quickly lowering it behind him, causing the man to cry out in pain and letting go of Akira’s shirt. Akira stands away, taking advantage of the opening, taking in the scene before him.

The thug who got him cornered holds his arm, his face twisted in a grimace, trying to get back at his attacker. Before the man even has a chance to hit back, his defender speaks up, “Really, Kurusu-kun, I didn’t know you could be such a troublemaker.” Akira perks up at the sound of the voice, calm and pleasant like a safe haven in the middle of a storm.

_I could kiss him right now._

Akira can see Akechi fiddling with his gloves, smiling his trademark TV smile, which never reaches his eyes. He turns and looks at Akira, eyes softening slightly, but quickly coming back to the man before them, who’s still up for a fight.

“Who the fuck are you? You wanna go too?” he screams, still clutching his hand. The other thug catches up to them just in time to take a look at Akechi and grab the other man by the shoulder, saying “Dude, it’s the guy from the TV.”

“I don’t care who he is, I’ll bash his brains out!” The two men are abruptly interrupted by the sound of the shutter. 

“Ah, there.” Akechi says, proudly showing the photo he took, both men’s faces easily recognizable. “Now excuse me, gentlemen, but I assume you don’t want to cause anymore ruckus. After all, you wouldn’t want me to pass this photo to the press.” Both men look at him, terrified. Akechi’s smile turns sour, his voice dropping lower, “Leave the boy alone and maybe I’ll consider letting it slide.”

There is no hesitation when the two thugs withdraw quickly and walk the other way. Akira’s eyes still follow after them, making sure they’re out of sight when his eyes find Akechi again, his head still turned after the two men.

“Scumbags.” he growls quietly, probably not something Akira is meant to hear. He turns to face Akira, a gentle smile on his face. Akira feels like he can cry tears of joy.

“Are you okay, Kurusu-kun?” Akechi asks worryingly, walking up to Akira. It’s only then the thief realizes he still holds his head where it hit the wall. He pulls it back, wincing slightly when it brushes against the soon-to-be bump. 

“I’m fine. It could be worse.” He leans back from the wall and takes a step in Akechi’s direction. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Occurrences like than are frequent enough as it is, it’s my job to stop them after all.” Akechi looks around. “But… I wouldn’t be here if not for your cat.” Akira spots Morgana coming out from behind the corner. “I saw him running around as if something has happened and figured something was wrong. Once he spot me, he led me to you.”

Morgana meows, as to confirm what Akechi said. It’s surprising the cat trusted the detective enough to bring him here, confident he will help Akira and not leave him on his own. But beggars can’t be choosers, Akira guesses.

“Sorry, it was my fault, maybe I shouldn’t have intervened.” Akira says, scratching his head.

“I find it hard to believe it was your fault, Kurusu-kun. How so?” Akechi asks, tilting his head in curiosity.

“They were bothering a woman, I just tried to help her. Clearly these two didn’t appreciate my pathetic attempt at helping as much as that woman probably did.” Akira hopes she’s safe from them for the time being.

Akechi puts his hand under his chin, “Yes, that does sound like something you’d do. But no matter, I’m glad you’re safe now. Shall we go back to the station?”

“Yes, please. My train probably left already anyway.”

“If you end up late I can provide you with an alibi, you know.” Akechi winks at him, both of them on their way back to the station, Morgana rushing after them.

_Did he just wink at me?_

“I could arrange it so your school will know you’re helping me with an investigation, how about this?”

“Wait, you can do that?” Akira asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Of course, that’s how they often excuse my absences at school. It’s hard to keep up with both, after all.” 

“To think I could ask you for an excuse and I wouldn’t have to go school ever again.” Akira jokes.

Akechi chuckles. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far, of course, education is important.” They reach the station, Akira noticing with an annoyance that his train left two minutes ago. “Dammit” he swears under his breath.

Another train rolls in on the platform, and Akechi excuses himself, “I’m sorry, but it’s my train. Try not to get into any more trouble, alright?”

“Wait!” Akira exclaims. This short conversation is not enough to get anything out of the detective, and Akira is running out of time. “Come to Leblanc sometime soon, okay?”

Akechi stops for a moment, “Why the sudden invitation?”

“I kinda miss my clothes.” _Back to lame we go._

Akechi tries to hide his laughter behind his hand, “Of course. I’ll get them back to you as soon as I can.” With one last amused glance at Akira, the brunette boards the train.

When it’s finally safe for Morgana to talk, Akira asks, “You really did ask him for help, huh?”

“Well, what was I supposed to do? Explain the situation to a random passerby? He knows me and he’s smart enough to know what I wanted from him.” Morgana explains, not wanting for Akira to think he asked Akechi for help out of sympathy. “Are we gonna get to school on time?”

“Nope, we’re screwed.”

“Great” Morgana replies, sarcasm evident in his voice, “just what we needed.”

It doesn’t matter, school won’t kill him, after all. But if he’ll neglect his mission with interrogating Akechi, he might as well choose himself a nice coffin already.

~~~~~

Frequent celebrations are a must if you are a part of the Phantom Thieves. Be it a new member or a change of heart, the group will not waste any opportunity to party. This time is no exception.

They never threw a party of this caliber, that’s for sure. They have a whole Destinyland for themselves, like young celebrities living out their wildest dreams. Akira still thinks it’s needlessly overdone, but he’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Haru took care they have everything they might need, enough food and drink to last for a week, even fireworks to brighten up the sky. When the time comes, they all gather around the screen and watch the conference, wanting to observe another successful change of heart.

Except they weren’t expecting the horror that unfolds before them. And then all of the control Akira thought they still hold is gone again.

~~~~~

The school festival is almost here, and with it new challenges. As Makoto already told Akira, it’s a tradition at Shujin Academy, not to be undervalued. Inactivity would be too suspicious, and with a recent incident with Okumura they can’t afford to slack off. If they’re really being set up, they have to work even harder to prove their innocence. Which involves methods they were too hesitant to use before.

It’s pretty much obligatory for a guest of honor to be present at the festival, which leaves the thieves at an impasse. With the popularity of the group suddenly spiraling downwards, it is to be expected the fame of the Detective Prince will soar. And to avoid inviting him would be like dodging the inevitable. 

So they took a chance, and now they’re in the attic, waiting for his reply. Akira doesn’t miss the side-glances Futaba and Morgana throw at him, he knows by now everyone should know the truth already. It’s almost impressive how they all forgot about Akechi, when all they could focus on was Okumura. 

What’s even more impressive is how he avoided answering any questions regarding having Akechi’s number. What was he supposed to say? _Hey, so, I have a massive crush on our enemy. Don’t worry about it, I’m sure that I can persuade him not to kill me with my irresistible charm._

That can go as good as one can expect. 

Akechi doesn’t straight up agree, but doesn’t disagree either. Now it’s just a matter of time when he’ll be sure of his answer, and then Akira hopes something will finally stir.

And so the waiting game begins.

~~~~~

“Welcome home!”

There is only one day left until the festival starts and Akira is starting to feel anxious. So far, he was able to avoid the confrontation with the group per Futaba and Morgana’s request, but he is really pushing it. Seeing Akechi in Leblanc after so long is filling Akira with a sense of peace he doesn’t know he is capable of feeling right now.

“Honey, I’m home.” Akira replies, his apprehension from the past week needing to find release somehow.

“You’re back awfully late.” Akechi says with a coy smirk.

_That’s what we’re doing today, huh?_

“Don’t worry, I’m not a cheater. You’re the only one for me, darling.” Akira blows him a kiss and throws a wink for the good measure, walking past him and greeting Sojiro. Judging by how disappointed his face is, it must be a new record for Akira. “Ehh… youth these days…”

Akira promises he’ll be back in a minute, quickly gathering his thoughts and congratulating himself for not blushing out of his mind right from the start. He actually regrets Morgana isn’t with him this time, Akira is sure he would appreciate the cringe factor of this meeting already.

He doesn’t know how long Akechi is willing to stay, so he rushes downstairs to help Sojiro in the kitchen. It’s not exactly a perfect setting for a serious conversation, with the lone man by the stairs still sipping his cup of coffee. At least he has a feeling Sojiro will walk back home soon, as he often does when Akira takes over.

So for now all he can do is wait and make Akechi another coffee, seeing as his cup is already empty. While he’s busy, he hears the brunette making a small talk with Sojiro, his guardian replying politely. It doesn’t take long for the man in the booth and Sojiro to leave the café, leaving only him and Akechi. 

Akira feels the tension come back again, remembering the stakes. He can’t let Akechi leave too early, not without getting anything useful out of him. He doesn’t want to make this meeting a stiff, business appointment. If anything, Akechi should at least agree to show up at the festival , any kind of intel will greatly-

“Ah, by the way. I’ve been invited to a panel at Shujin Academy, and...“ Akechi breaks the silence. “Oh wait. I’m sure you know that already. Considering it’s such a great opportunity, I’ve decided to accept the offer.”

_Ok, that was easy._

But opportunity for what, exactly? Raising his popularity, confirming his suspicion about their group, proving he was right all along? There is no use beating around the bush, so Akira tries the straightforward way.

“That’s good. But… opportunity for what?”

“Exposing the Phantom Thieves, of course.”

Akira tries really hard not to drop the cup he’s holding, trying to place it in front of Akechi and not let the slight tremble in his hands show. The detective doesn’t even seem to notice the little drawing Akira tried really hard to perfect in his spare time.

“Do you really know who they are?” Akira asks cautiously, trying to sound indifferent.

“I had a strong suspicion, but it’s only recently that I found a solid evidence.” Akechi looks at him, refusing to look away even for a millisecond, searching for any sign of hesitation.

Akira leans on the counter, a little too close to the brunette, refusing to back down.

“So you won’t even acknowledge what I drew for you?” Akira asks smugly.

The distraction worked, Akechi looking down at his coffee, finally taking notice of a carefully drawn heart of foam. His mask falters a little, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks before he closes his eyes for a second and smiles softly. “Ah, it seems one of them is already trying to steal my heart.”

Akira tries to ignore the implications and decides to take a different route instead. “Is it working?”

“It seems to work as good as you trying to distract me, Kurusu-kun.”

Akira gulps down heavily, “I’d say I’m doing a pretty good job, then.”

Akechi chuckles, a little too darkly for Akira’s taste. “And I’d say you’re giving yourself too much credit, Kurusu.” He takes a sip of his coffee, the foam heart shuttering into small pieces.

Akira feels like he’s losing control of the situation far too quickly, and doesn’t quite know how to get it back. But he’s not going to run away.

“What are you implying?” Akira asks, still refusing to look away from Akechi, leaning even closer to him.

_Intimidation, that’s the key._

“I thought of you to be smarter than that, you know. I don’t think you need any clarification to know what I’m implying.” His eyes are looking up at him again, drilling into his soul and freezing him in place, Akira’s face going paler by the second.

“And what if you’re right?” Akira hears himself say, mind too preoccupied to think of possible repercussions of his words.

_He knows it’s me._

_He knows I’m his target._

_And he doesn’t care._

Akechi smiles triumphantly, eyes still cold. “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to stop you. There is nobody here to help you, after all.” The smile turns sickly sweet, Akira feels chills down his spine.

“Then handcuff me now, _detective_.” Akira growls. He feels like he should be ashamed of himself right about now. If he wasn’t being threatened maybe he would be. But right now, with fire burning in his eyes and melting the ice from Akechi’s stare, he feels like he can move mountains.

The detective looks genuinely surprised, eyebrows raising and his cold smile turning uneasy. It seems Akira isn’t the only one taken aback by his own statement. 

After few seconds of sizing each other up, Akechi finally looks away. He takes a sip of his coffee, visibly relaxing and fixing his demeanor, as if he is ashamed of losing his composure. “Such bold suggestion, Kurusu-kun. At least wait until I finish my coffee.”

_Go hard or go home._

“You don’t need coffee to keep you up all night. You can just accept my proposal.” And Akira inches even closer to Akechi, faces just few centimeters away. 

The brunette finally relents, he turns his head away from Akira, hiding his face behind the cup in his hands, his cheeks bright red already.

Satisfied with a small victory, Akira moves away, leaving the counter and standing in front of the coffee beans, giving Akechi some space.

He doesn’t have time to wallow in shame, however, Akechi unexpectedly speaking up right after he leaned back. “You can be quite vicious, Kurusu-kun.” He’s still hidden behind a cup, his voice coming out muffled and eyes refusing to meet the ravenettes’.

“Thanks. I learned from the best.” Akira looks back at him, hoping the detective understands the insinuation. It’s hard to tell with his head still turned away, fighting a blush that seems to have become a permanent feature. 

After a minute of silence, Akechi seemingly regains composure and reaches to his briefcase, pulling something out of it. When Akira looks again, he finds his clothes, neatly folded on the counter. “Here. I figured it’s been way too long since I borrowed them.”

Akira is on a roll and he shows no signs of stopping. “Aww, babe. You didn’t have to, I told you, you can wear them again if you want.” he says with a mischevious smirk.

Akechi, finally showing some emotions, grips his cup tighter and clenches his jaw. “Can you-…” he hesitates, then relaxes and huffs out, “I guess I deserve that, don’t I? I’m sorry I came on too strong, it’s just… Work’s been hard lately and I didn’t manage to have proper rest in few days.”

Akira knows he tries to shift the blame again, make himself the martyr. It’s not true anyway, he knows the detective isn’t sorry in the slightest, but if it’s as close to burying the hatchet as he can get, Akira will accept it. 

He doesn’t want to go back to their previous topic. If Akechi knows for sure he is a Phantom Thief and makes no move to stop him, there must be something else in play. It’s hard to believe his personal feelings prevent him from apprehending Akira here and now, and he knows he’s putting himself in danger. Being alone with Akechi is already a risky move, even more with him knowing his identity. But Akira figures he’s safe for now, so he lets it go and carry on humoring the detective.

“It’s fine. I’m not mad.” he rubs the back of his neck, hoping to look as harmless as possible.

Akechi scoffs, “ _Please_ , Kurusu. You don’t have to humor me.” 

“Akira.”

Akechi finally looks at the ravenette with puzzled expression.

“You can call me Akira, you know. It’s weird hearing you call me Kurusu all the time, especially since no one else does.” He means it. Akira feels like he’s getting too tired to act anymore.

“Um… Okay. Akira-kun, then.” He feels like this is the most uncomfortable he’s seen Akechi being. And because of such a simple thing too. He better get used to it, if they are to get closer somehow the first name basis is a subtle bridge they need to walk through, before it becomes a wall.

Akira looks at Akechi expectedly, waiting for the gesture to be returned, but the detective remains silent. After a minute of waiting and Akira trying not to look too disheartened, he wonders whether he should ask him to call him by his first name too. The raven doesn’t want to be too forward, awkward flirting is one thing, but if Akechi doesn’t want to get too cozy with Akira, he will have to accept that.

It turns out Akira didn’t need to think so hard about it, because moments later Akechi speaks up, voice small and unsure. “You can… call me Goro… if you want…”and Akira beams at him, like he just received the best news in a long while. 

“Alright, _Goro_.” Akira chirps happily, the brunette frowning slightly in annoyance, “I’m glad.” The silence that follows isn’t strained anymore, both boys just enjoying the calm that only Leblanc can provide.

“You know…” Akira starts, not wanting to just sit idly and waste time, “I still haven’t thanked you properly for the other day.” Akechi looks up, eyes questioning, “With these two men?” Akira clarifies.

“Oh, right.” Akechi looks away again, “I hope you’re not thinking of more suggestive ideas.” this time the brunette’s face remains steady, hints of amusement present in his voice.

And now it’s Akira who can’t hold back a blush, rubbing his neck and changing the subject. “N-no! Just… you didn’t need to do that, and I’d hate if you got in trouble too, but… I just couldn’t stay away.” Akira turns away, face turning pensive.

Seeing Akira’s thoughtful look, Akechi asks curiously, “May I ask why were you so sure of helping that lady, then?”

Akira sighs, “It reminded me too much of the incident leading to my probation.” he recalls. “I didn’t tell you about it, did I?”

“I can’t say you have. If you feel uncomfortable talking about, I won’t force you. I can’t imagine it’s a pleasant memory to reminiscence about.” Akechi’s voice sounds genuine, truly not wanting Akira to speak if he chooses not to.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

_Except for the obvious. Even if you know about me anyway._

And so he tells him. About the late night stroll, about the screams of a woman, about the man forcing himself on her. The misunderstanding that led him to court, the unfairness of it all, his bitterness and new beginnings. And Akechi listens, eyes calculating, taking in all information until he finally speaks up, “I understand. I wish we could have met earlier, maybe then I would be able to help you somehow.”

Akira scoffs, voice bitter, “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate it, but I don’t think even you would stand a chance against a haughty politician who probably has half the country under his thumb.” 

Akechi turns away, frowning, like he’s digging up an old grudge. The next question comes out slowly, like Akechi isn’t even sure he wants to know the answer. “Do you by any chance… know the name of that politician?”

“I have no idea. I only remember he was bald and wearing sunglasses at night like a jackass.” Akira’s eyes burn with hate as he tries to remember the man who ruined his life. He looks back at Akechi, expression immediately switching to surprise. 

The brunette looks like he is on the verge of combusting, hands clutching the cup so hard Akira thinks it will shatter in a second. Akechi’s jaw is clenched tight, eyes forward, searing resentment so obvious it scares Akira. He’s almost fearful of asking his next question. “Um… do you… know him?”

Akechi switches back to his previous demeanor so fast Akira is impressed. His eyes are soft again, showing no sign of previous sentiment, letting go of the cup and unclenching his jaw, timid smile showing again. “I’m not sure. Your description isn’t much, and to dig into it without solid evidence will surely prove to be unwise.” 

_He’s lying._

Akira chooses to ignore it for now, focusing on the detective instead. “Sure, it’s not like I thought trying to get back at him would ever work anyway. I wouldn’t want you to mess with him either, I don’t think even you can do much.”

Akechi glances at him like an adult looking at a child, telling him how little he knows of a real world. Tired. That’s what Akira can read from Akechi. And he believes it, a person like him surely already had his fair share of struggles, his carefree high school days replaced by hard work and proving himself worthy of his position amidst the world of adults.

So for now, Akira decides to back off. Akechi, however, even through his evident exhaustion manages to say, “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be willing to try for you, Kurusu-kun.” his tired smile turning playful.

Akira feels honored, but there is something else that catches his attention. “Hey, what did I say about the names?” and raises his eyebrows like a teacher who heard a wrong answer from a student.

“Oh, right.” Akira is disappointed to see that instead of another lighthearted response, Akechi stands up. “It’s getting late, I really should be going.” Akira doesn’t stop him. They both feel drained, and it’s nearing closing time. The ravenette feels like he definitely got enough information from Akechi to confirm several things.

None of them are particularly happy. The fact he knows about Akira being a Phantom Thief should be bad enough, and yet it’s not the one he’s most worried about. Something will definitely happen at the school festival. Akira sincerely doubts the detective will expose them as he promised, somehow believing that acts like this are better performed in front of larger audiences. A measly school festival just doesn’t seem like something Akechi would go for.

And to be perfectly honest, Akechi refusing to call him by his first name, and hesitating with ravenette doing the same irks Akira more than he thought. He makes a promise with himself to never call the detective anything else than Goro from now on.

“You sure you don’t want to stay a little longer?” Akira asks hopefully.

“I feel unusually tired. I’m sorry, but I still have work to do this evening. We’ll have plenty of chances to talk yet.”

He helped Akira in the subway station. He didn’t have to. He doesn’t know Morgana isn’t a normal cat, clearly he didn’t think somehow the cat would tell Akira that the detective was unwilling to help and turned away. But he did help him. Does Akechi care, after all? Or was it just convenient for him, Akira being convicted of something again would only ruin his plans?

The ravenette walks Akechi to the door, the detective putting on his coat and turning to Akira, “Thank you for the coffee, it was delicious. I hope next time you’ll be able to present me with another drawing.”

“What, hearts are not enough for you, honey?” Akira asks coyly.

 _Next time_ , like there isn’t a strong probability they will all end up behind bars soon enough.

Akira feels like sharing a story about his probation was the best move on his part this evening. Akechi clearly struggled to keep his composure, something bothering him more than he wanted to admit. It was about this politician, Akira saw how Akechi tensed at the ravenette’s description. If he doesn’t know him personally, there is at least a strong possibility of the detective knowing enough about this person to cause such fierce reaction.

There is a quiet voice at the back of Akira’s head, thinking about the possibility of this person being Akechi’s boss. The thief quickly hushes it, the likelihood of the same person being the cause of their problems is extremely low.

“With that attitude even a heart is not going to appease me, Akira-kun.” Akira can only smirk at the response. 

The thief feels like he accomplished his mission. He never expected he’d get any straightforward answers from the detective, but he’s good enough at reading people for their body language to betray everything. 

_If only I could read how he really feels about me._

For now, this will have to be enough. Akira hopes his clumsy flirting will work wonders in the long run.

“Goodbye. I’m sure we’ll see each other real soon, Akira-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter can go to hell. I wasted three days trying to get it right. So instead of a legit conversation I just summerized it and off I go.
> 
> Fluff is so much better to write, I regret all my life choices. When I'm done with this I'm writing nothing but cute little slices of life


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised a shorter chapter, so have the longest one yet instead.
> 
> (We're switching from Akechi to Goro, hope you all don't mind)

_There is a Boy, trying to make amends for the mistakes yet to be._

_There is a Barista, running out of time._

~~~~~

Something, in fact, _did_ happen at the school festival. 

Akira found out about Goro’s low tolerance for spicy food. To be perfectly honest, none of the thieves were responsible for the sad fate that befall the detective. All he had to do was not to take their food as a ‘performance fee’, as he so nicely put it. Maybe he will make a nice thief yet. 

After yesterday’s events when Morgana returned home, Akira transcribed everything that happened in the café. Surprisingly, the cat was actually amazed by the fact that Akira was able to find out anything about Goro, so he wasn’t even angry that apparently their lives are compromised. Not like Akira didn’t get used to it already.

The best (worst) part, was that Futaba recorded everything, so now she tortures him with random audio clips of his painful flirting. She didn’t say much at first, only sent him a text message that read “7/10”, followed by “I ship it”. Akira ships it too, he just wishes he could get a better rating.

Still, it’s amazing how everyone deals with Akira’s upcoming death like this. He guesses it’s just the part where you do nothing else but laugh. It seems they skipped all stages of denial and went straight for the last one.

So now, a day later, they all sit at the mockery of a restaurant, trying very hard not to laugh at the sight of a very miserable Goro, trying to hold it together and not spit the takoyaki back on the plate. Akira, however, feels grateful. If not for Goro, _he_ would be the one struggling with a blazing fury in form of a ball. The detective saved him yet again, albeit unknowingly this time.

The brunette excuses himself, clearly struggling to properly formulate words, probably with an intention of running to the bathroom. Not wanting to leave him alone in these trying times, Akira goes after him, ignoring the blatant stares of the rest of the thieves. It’s okay, Akira is so blatant himself as of late, it doesn’t bother him anymore.

He looks around the floor, and not spotting Goro anywhere, he stands near the toilets, guessing that’s where the brunette holed himself up at the moment. After few minutes of waiting Akira starts to wonder if he’s in the wrong place after all, but then he notices Goro coming out of the bathroom.

He looks slightly better than few minutes ago, emphasis on slightly. He’s still red all over, eyes watered and sniffling softly like he’s been crying. When he sees Akira waiting for him, the hand that’s wiping his face stops and lowers slowly, like all of this was just an act, and none of this is the effect of Goro being greedy. 

And while Akira is compassionate by nature, he is also a sucker for Goro looking unguarded and open like this. But if the brunette wasn’t looking so cute right now, he would definitely be laughing. As it is, Akira just stands in front of him with restrained smile on his face, taking out a bottle of water from his bag.

“Hey, are you okay?” he hands Goro the bottle, the detective hesitantly taking it and looking around, like admitting to his blunder will irreparably ruin his career.

“Yes, thank you.” his lips are still quivering a bit, but overall, speaking doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore. He opens the bottle slowly and takes a sip carefully, like he wouldn’t prefer to gulp it all down in few quick swigs. Akira chuckles and immediately regrets it, seeing the detective glaring at him with betrayal and giving back the bottle, turning around to leave.

“I’m glad you find this funny, Kurusu-kun.” _There it is again._

Akira feels like this incident is too ridiculous to get mad about, so he tries to defuse the detective the only way he knows how.

“Did I ever tell you the story about soap?” Akira knows he didn’t.

The element of surprise must have worked because Goro stops and looks at Akira in bafflement. “I fail to see how that relates to anything.” He turns around to face Akira again, frowning lightly.

“When I was a kid, my parents often complained that soap disappeared way too quickly from our bathroom. Long story short, they stopped asking when one time the whole bar vanished, and they turned around to see me blowing bubbles from my mouth.”

Observing the detective trying to keep his face straight is a real treat. But he finally gives in and chuckles softly, a shy smile showing across his features.

“Why must you always do this?” Goro says with fondness. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off as unfriendly.” 

“No problem, Goro. You couldn’t have known that food is gonna make an attempt at your life.” Akira’s pleased to notice the brunette flinched slightly at the sound of his name.

“Well… To be perfectly honest… It wasn’t _that_ bad, it’s just… I hate spicy food.” That opens a whole new world of jokes and pranks. 

“Oh yeah, now that I think about it, you never mention anything spicy on your food blog.” Akira frowns and looks to the side, pretending he didn’t say it just for the sake of teasing the brunette.

Which works perfectly, seeing as the older boy wildly looks around the corridor, hoping no one else heard that. ”H-how do you know about that?” he asks with a stern voice, like it’s an interrogation, not a friendly chatter.

Akira gasps in feigned indignation, “Oh, you want to ask me how your biggest fan in the world knows about your not-so-secret blog? You wound me.” Akira’s expression turns somber, but he adds “That reminds me, is there a chance I could get your autograph?” he looks up again with a smirk. But instead of finding the annoyed expression of the brunette, all he can find is resentment and disgust.

Akira takes solace in the fact that Goro looked away, so the bitterness isn’t directed straight at him, but it doesn’t help the fact that it’s probably his fault anyway.

“Goro…?” Akira asks quietly, and the detective’s expression softens, smile returning to his face like all Akira just saw was an illusion. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kurusu-kun. I just remembered something.” If not for the dreaded fake smile, maybe Akira would’ve believed him. 

“ _Goro._ ”

“ _Akira._ ”

_There we go._

Satisfied to hear his name from the brunette, Akira carries on, “If you don’t like talking about something, tell me. I won’t mention it again.” The way Goro looked after mentioning his blog, it feels like the blog murdered his family once and run away with the dog. 

Maybe not, but everyone has their own tragic backstories.

“No, it’s nothing this serious.” Goro holds his hand up, denying the suggestion, “It’s just… The food blog isn’t something that I enjoy doing, so I’d rather not talk about it.” 

_That’s new._

“Can I ask why not?”

“It’s a long story, certainly not the one told near the school bathroom during the festival.” The smile finally gains some credibility, so Akira guesses he can postpone this one until they have time to talk again.

“Alright, you’re off the hook for now, but don’t count on it next time.”

“It’s a promise, then. I must be going. I’ll see you tomorrow, yes?” Goro turns around, looking over his shoulder, searching for confirmation.

“I wouldn’t miss your panel for anything.” Akira admits.

Goro smirks, “You better not.” Akira wishes he didn’t phrase it so ominously.

~~~~~

It turns out they do not have time to talk about the food blog, or anything for that matter, because Goro’s panel comes and then everything gets turned around. 

Akira expects something big to happen. He supposes exposing them here would be just plain stupid, but once Goro is just about to reveal their identities, he starts sweating bullets. And then the phone calls, Goro asks for ten minute break, and suddenly they are all backstage. For now, Akira is just thankful their identities are safe, but it all changes once the brunette shows them the photos. Photos of them, coming back from the Metaverse.

_So this is the evidence he was talking about._

He shouldn’t be surprised. One time, amidst all the mess that’s dealing with the Metaverse they all forgot about the obvious signs they should have been mindful of. Like the fact, that showing up out of nowhere isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. 

But Akira is fine with it. Finally, after walking on eggshells for months, he can be honest with Goro. Granted, he’s not expecting his life to return to normalcy after this. After all, the person they are all speaking to right now once assured somebody of his imminent demise. But again, he’s proven wrong. 

Out of all the things Goro could ask them, an alliance wasn’t on the list. Akira figured the detective might ask them to stop what they’re doing, before consequences follow. He was half expecting to go to the backstage, only to be flanked by the police. This, however, is the best thing that could have happened in their current circumstances.

And Akira is _furious._

There was a time when he thought of asking the detective to join them, to be one of them. Maybe then the group wouldn’t be so opposed to Akira spending time with the brunette, maybe even hanging out with him on their spare time too. And maybe that way Akira could persuade Goro to abandon his evil ways, spend time with him properly, without hiding anything and they could live happily ever after, in the world where friendship and love can overcome anything.

But this is reality, and in reality Goro had just purposefully made enemies with the Phantom Thieves, forcefully taking his place among their ranks. 

Akira goes back to the last time he talked with the detective in Leblanc. He knew Akira is a Phantom Thief, he knew what he wanted from them, and instead of asking Akira to join without audience and without blackmail, he chooses to do _this_. Making everyone else hate him from the start and barely tolerate him as one of their own.

For the remaining of the meet-up Akira tries to keep his face neutral. He wants to take no sides in this, agrees with what Goro tells him and reasons with the rest of the team, saying there is no other choice. It’s the most formal they have ever been with each other, and Akira feels like it’s going to stay this way for quite some time.

~~~~~

For the next few days they all try to figure out the best way to deal with Sae’s palace. The first was a meeting in Leblanc, unfortunately with no promise of being alone with Goro. Akira thought it would be harder to stay mad at the detective, but the hurt he feels is powerful enough to not even consider dropping the uninterested act. He feels twisted joy from how he sees Goro’s fake smile faltering whenever he looks Akira’s way, offering him only a passive and fed up expression.

But Akira is done with waiting for his life to end. It’s time for everyone to know what the detective is really up to, so next day Futaba acts out great interest in Goro’s phone and plants a bug. It doesn’t take them long to get what they were looking for. They can’t hear the other end of the conversation, but it doesn’t matter. Akira is to be assassinated by the end of November, the act being staged as suicide after getting captured by the police.

The news is both a relief and a curse. He can finally stop worrying about going out every day, but on the other hand, it only reminds him that the plot is definite, and it’s going to happen soon. For now there is a new challenge, the one he’s not sure will help them with anything at this point, but for the sake of appearances they have to tackle it. And with a new ally, whether they want it or not.

And it’s not that Akira opposes the idea of Goro fighting alongside them, quite the contrary. Seeing him standing in the palace with them is still warming his heart, even if it’s dulled at the moment. He just wishes everyone else weren’t looking at him like he’s going to turn his weapons against them any second of their exploration. Akira is guilty of it too, but there are signs that prove him wrong and he’s probably the only one who can see them.

There is a certain way of fighting that Goro adapted in their short team up. He always sticks close to Akira, looks out for him the most and covers his blind spots. It’s subtle enough that the rest of the group can’t spot anything unusual, but it’s not just fighting that’s different. 

He’s always looking at him. Not with just one expression too, there is a whole range of emotions painted on his features every time he looks at Akira, and the thief wants nothing more than to sit and talk about every single one of them, so he can finally feel some peace of mind.

There is longing, like he senses the grudge Akira has, wishing it wasn’t there. There is worry, every time the enemy gets too close to Akira or he’s showing off too much. There is also regret, for the obvious, but maybe something more that Akira isn’t meant to know. But the one that sends chills down his spine is interest. When they are resting in safe rooms, sneaking around or talking between each other, Akira is acutely aware that the detective seems to eye him up like he’s a glass of water on hot day.

And he would be lying if he said he’s not doing the same thing. That damn outfit of his, being as flashy as it is, doesn’t bother him in the slightest. It suits him so well Akira couldn’t imagine him wearing anything other than that. More often than not, it’s Akira who looks away with flushed cheeks, not wanting to be caught staring, Goro just smiling smugly and not saying a word. There is nothing that can be said, certainly not with Akira still being as pissed as he is.

Because as dashing as Goro looks, that’s just it. Nothing changed. Akira is still going to die and the rest of the group still don’t trust the detective, everyone still wasting their time on a palace which in the long run will make no difference. It’s only the second time they explored the casino and Akira already has enough of stuffy air around their party.

It’s still early November when they finish for the day and disperse, each of the thieves walking in different directions. The only one who are left are Akira and Goro, with Morgana already hidden in the bag. The stares this time were more persistent than usual, if that is even possible, and Akira thinks his passive aggressiveness is finally getting to the detective. It’s no surprise when the raven wants to go his own way without a word, as he’s already used to, but instead he feels an arm around his shoulder.

“Akira…?” The act of using his first name as a way to appease him is so obvious, Akira almost laughs out lout. But for now, he just backs away from the touch and takes a step away from the detective, looking at Goro with the same indifferent expression. The brunette looks positively remorseful, which only serves to make the situation worse, because Akira has no energy left for staying mad and trying to reason with him.

“What?” The simplest of replies should get his point across. Goro droops his head a little upon hearing the underlying disinterest, but if he got so far as to say Akira’s name, it’s apparently too late to back down.

“Can we talk?” his voice calm and quiet, like he’s afraid of irritating Akira further.

“We’re already talking.” Akira feels like he’s going too far, but seeing Goro’s true feelings showing on his face is worth that much.

“Akira, _please_. You know what I’m talking about.” To be perfectly honest the ravenette is almost afraid to drag this any further. If their roles were reversed, Akira would already be begging for the detective’s forgiveness, not wanting to be the victim of his wrath. Which he already proven in the past, recalling his desperate search through the alleyways in Yongen-Jaya when he heard Goro was still in vicinity.

Akira sighs, running his hand through his hair, ”Sure. In Leblanc.” and without another word he turns around and starts walking to the station, not looking if the detective is following or not. It’s not like he’d run away now, after finally getting the chance for a proper talk.

They get to the station and wait for the train, no other words exchanged between them. Even without looking at Goro, Akira can feel subtle glances thrown in his direction, like the brunette is a puppy who just ruined all the pillows and is waiting for his punishment. 

_Fuck it._

When he feels Goro’s eyes on him again, he quickly turns his head to stare back. It’s such a mundane thing, but it startles the detective like he’s watching a horror movie and tries to act like he’s not affected by the jumpscare. His eyes are looking forward, like all he’s been doing is awaiting the train and nothing more, and Akira smirks. Maybe it’d be worth it to drag this out for a while longer.

They board the train, sitting quietly few seats from each other, Goro keeping his eyes to himself through an entire ride. When they finally reach Leblanc, the brunette walking just few steps behind, Akira opens his bag to let Morgana out.

“Go for a walk, I’ll let you in later.” 

“But-“

“ _Go_.” The cat cowers slightly, and finally getting the idea jumps out from the bag, disappearing into the night. 

The café is closed already, Sojiro probably closing it way earlier like he’s in habit of doing. The boys walk in, Goro sitting on his usual stool and Akira leaving his bag in one of the booths. He figures he can’t just sit and wait for the detective to talk, so he busies himself with the only thing he can think of. “I’ll make you coffee.”

The brunette, probably startled by the fact Akira spoke to him at all, manages to finally speak up, “Thank you.”

And still nothing changes. Akira tries to focus on the coffee, getting increasingly aware of the tense atmosphere he just doesn’t want to deal with today. He’s not going to initiate a conversation, if all Goro wanted is coffee and small pleasantries, he can offer that much, but nothing more. But that would be too beautiful to be true.

_That’s not right._

It’s not that he wants to stay mad at the detective. Maybe it’s a bit childish, but he doesn’t want to be seen as the only one who cares about the mess of a relationship they seem to have. Maybe the detective does care, but even if he does, he can never say it. Akira feels like he continuously makes an obvious effort of getting to know Goro better, to make him feel welcomed and assure him of their friendship, but all he gets are lies and pretexts. For once, he wants to see what will the detective do, when suddenly Akira’s attention is taken away from him.

And so he waits. He serves Goro his coffee, and after short thanks, they go back to sitting in silence. Akira purposefully makes a show of sitting as far away as possible from each other, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it, head tilted downwards, feigning interest in the article he’s reading. Minutes pass, but Goro still sips his coffee and says nothing. Akira is getting bored of his phone already and wishes he could get this over with faster, so he can go back to living the life that he still has left.

“Akira-kun…” When the ravenette makes no sign of acknowledgement, Goro continues, “I can’t help but notice that you are angry with me.” 

_Wow._

His voice is strained, probably making it as steady as he can get, to make it seem like he’s in control of the situation, and Akira being mad goes according to plan.

“You really _are_ a great detective, huh?” That must sting, but Akira makes no move to check, eyes still glued to the phone. He does, however, hear a slight movement of Goro fidgeting in his chair.

“I realize that my presence in your group is unwanted. But I promise you, I will not stay with you all any longer than necessary.” The fact that Goro thinks it’s all about him joining the group is no surprise. Akira just wishes he didn’t have to hear about being unwanted from his mouth again. Not after making sure to welcome him in Leblanc and searching for him at the station nearly every day. Getting a silent treatment from Akira for the last few days must really look like he gave up on him completely. Akira feels guilt crawling its way back out of his heart, but still doesn’t dare to look up.

“I understand if you do not wish to have anything in common with me. There was no need to come here if my presence is bothering you.” _Stop talking_. ”I just want you to tell me if you wish me gone, so we can stop pretending to tolerate each other and leave it as just a temporary alliance in pursuit of a common goal.” _You son of a bitch._

Akira decides he has enough of the detective’s self-depreciating rants and looks at him. “So that’s it? You don’t even care?” he asks, his voice quiet and serious like never before.

Goro looks confused, but manages to reply, “If the success of our mission depends on reliable teamwork, I think it’s vital to establish on what terms we’re going to finish this.” Akira never met a person that oblivious in his entire life.

“Would you drop this fancy talk of yours and talk to me normally for once in your goddamn life?” 

“My apologies, but if we are to go our own ways after this, then I don’t think being overly comfortable with each other is-“

“Shut up!” Akira screams. He doesn’t think he’s been this angry in his life, but if the detective doesn’t care after all, at least he wants to get everything out of his chest. 

Taking advantage of Goro being temporarily stunned by Akira’s sudden outburst, the raven continues, “That’s all it ever was to you? All you wanted was to pull some strings, make you join us and nothing else matters?” Akira stands up, letting out a humorless laugh. “You know, I thought I mattered to you. But it turns out I am just the means to an end. I tried so hard to make you belong, to have someone to talk to. And now you won’t even make an effort to retain this. If all you ever wanted from me was information you could have told me that from the beginning. You could probably threaten me for it, so at least you wouldn’t have to pretend to care.” 

At this, Goro can just stare wide-eyed, his mouth half-open and disbelief across his features, like he didn’t think that trying to pin everything on himself again is going to backfire. 

While Goro tries to come up with a reply, Akira takes his bag and turns to head upstairs. “Wait! I… I didn’t think… I didn’t mean to…”

“I’m not mad you joined us. Hell, I thought of asking you for weeks. They said it would be too dangerous, and I agreed. I’m mad because I thought you trusted me. You knew I was a Phantom Thief the last time you were in Leblanc and yet you ignored me. You could have showed me the photos and I would have let you in. Even if you had no evidence I would gladly let you join. There would be no need for blackmail, no need for useless theatrics to make everyone hate you from the start.”

Akira finally turns to Goro, looking straight at him. “You could have talked to me, explain how you think we can help each other. Then everyone else would be more sympathetic, instead of looking out for each other in fear of being stabbed in the back. But no, you had to go and make it some kind of competition, checking how far you can go to make everyone submit.”

“I’m sorry, I…” If Akira gets any more of useless excuses he’s going to hit something. Or someone, preferably. “I don’t want your apologies, we both know you don’t mean it. I just want to hear your take on this. And no more lies. You can tell me that you faked everything up to this point, so we can finish this discussion early and be done with each other.” 

Through his speech Goro tried to maintain eye contact, but somewhere in the middle of it he trailed off, biting his lip slightly and looking like he expects the world to end any second. “Akira-kun, I…” He takes a deep breath. “Before… Before I answer, may I have just one question?”

“No.”

Akira is done waiting. He also might have denied just for the sake of seeing that hopeless expression again. If the detective thinks he’s entitled to have anything he wants, he has another thing coming.

With great difficulty on the brunette’s part, he finally seems to glue together some words and starts talking, “If I have done something to offend you, then I’m truly sorry. I never intended to be a nuisance for you, nor your friends. And I want you to know, that I never thought of you as a source of intel. I meant it when I said I find you interesting, and I wasn’t wrong. But I never suspected you to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m unwilling to make friends with you, but I figured since we’re meant to be enemies, there is no need to get any closer to each other than necessary.”

That tells Akira absolutely nothing, “Great, so now that you said all these beautifully composed generalizations and empty assurances, can you finally tell me the truth for a change?” Akira is losing his patience, and quickly.

Goro looks lost. Akira figures it’s probably the first time in a long while when someone won’t accept his excuses and apologies.

“Akira, I… I don’t know what else you want from me…” _O my God_ , if Akira has to spoon-feed him the entire conversation, then so be it. He cares too much to let it go now.

“If you’re so eager to cut all ties with me, then why would you look out for me in the Metaverse?“ Akira figures he might as well pull out the big guns now, “Why do you always look at me? If all you wanted was for us to work together to change Sae’s heart, then why the sudden interest? Why do you try to make up with me, if it would be more beneficial for you to not waste any more time and work towards your own agenda.”

And there it is again, a small blush promising to take over the detective’s entire face if Akira will push a little bit more. “Akira-kun… I’m pretty sure you know I’m not very familiar with the Metaverse yet. I was simply examining your work so I can use my skills more efficiently and not slow you down.”

Akira was a fool to believe he can get anything out of him.“Ok, never mind. I wanted to give you a chance, but if you’re still so convinced you can lie your way out of everything I will-“

“You look good.” Akira freezes. Seconds later he drops his bag back on the seat and sits on one of the chairs again. “What?”

Goro looks like he’s been struck with lighting, the previous sentence said so quietly, the brunette probably hoped it would be better if Akira never talks to him again, instead of hearing it. “I… I mean… Your outfit, it… It looks good on you.” Akira can’t lie to himself anymore, once Goro gets like this he can make Akira forgive him in no time.

Now it’s time for the ravenette to be out of words. Just a minute ago he was so mad, he could let Goro go and actually feel relieved. But it seems the brunette’s blush is contagious, so Akira can do nothing but look away and stammer, “Thanks…? I guess…”

So now they sit there, still few chairs away, fighting their own battles in their heads, trying to think of what to say next. Akira stands up, walking to the kitchen, deciding that he can’t stand the silence any longer. The last thing he ate was a late breakfast, so curry is his only route of escaping. “I’ll make us curry. I hope you don’t mind at least a little spice.” Akira sends a shy smile Goro’s way.

Remembering the unfortunate incident with takoyaki, the detective huffs and nods, “Thank you. I’m sure it’s just as wonderful as your coffee.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, detective.”

“…I’m aware.” That’s not the response Akira was expecting, but it feels genuine enough for him to let it go for now. He glances at Goro, seeing the detective coming back to being his sad, thoughtful self, hunched over the counter with his lips in thin line. They’re not done talking yet, by far, but Akira thinks it’s better to leave him be, they both could use a little breather, even for few minutes. 

“I’m sorry I was staring.” _Or not._

What can Akira say to this? Make him stop? He certainly doesn’t mind the attention. But it’s not like he’s not guilty of the same thing, they both caught each other’s eyes on them on few occasions. 

He knows the reason for his own staring, his crush still being the main problem of his night musings. And he wouldn’t dare to believe that Goro is the same way, not with his obvious intentions towards him. His reactions, however, tell a whole different story. Akira doubts he’s still faking, one cannot make their entire face go red on a whim. But even if Goro shares the sentiment somehow, there is sadly no way they could ever make it work. Not with how fate dealt their cards.

“Who wouldn’t? No one would be able to pull this look off better than me.” Akira feels more like himself, smiling smugly with still restrained smirk. “You look good too. I mean, doesn’t really fit our style, but it suits you well. Makes me feel like I’m just some thug next to your prince getup.”

“Aren’t you?” their usual banter came back, and the air in the café feels a little lighter. Akira just huffs at that, finishing the curry with a calmer heart. He places the plates on the counter, this time sitting closer to the detective. 

After few bites Akira hears no objections from Goro, so he assumes it’s good enough to not burn his insides. When they’re done eating, the raven takes the plates to wash them in the sink, hearing Goro’s amused comment, “See, it really was as good as the coffee.”

“I’m glad you liked it. It wasn’t as hot as you, but I think you had enough last time.” Akira doesn’t turn around, but hears overdramatic sigh, smiling under his breath.

When he’s done washing the dishes, he comes back to sit at the chair. Even though Akira thinks they cleared some things up between them, there is still few thinks he wants Goro to know. When he finally decides on what he wants to say, he turns to face the detective.

“Goro, I think-“

“Akira, there is something-“

_Oh._

“Please, you go first. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” It doesn’t matter, because now Akira lost everything he wanted to say anyway, but he agrees anyway.

“It’s just… I’m sorry I got so angry with you. But I think you understand where I’m coming from now. I was doing everything I could to get closer to you, because I thought you feel the same. If that’s not the case just tell me, but… I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to or…” this is getting to awkward for Akira to continue with straight face, so he trails off, “… you know. I never wanted to make it seem like I’m ignoring you, I just got the impression that you never thought you could talk to me as your friend.” He takes a deep breath. “So… if you have any doubts about my intentions, just tell me. And I want you to be honest with me as well.”

Now, that the confidence from hours before dissipated completely, a tiny sliver that is left leaves him unguarded. But leave it to Goro to make him feel braver by just taking a look at him. It’s not as bad as usual, only a slight tinge of pink coloring his cheeks, but at least Akira can be sure that his speech had a desired effect.

“And one more thing.” Akira continues. “If you say anything about being unwanted to me ever again, I’m going to tie you up to this chair, so you’ll be stuck here until you realize that you belong here.”

Goro stares wide-eyed at Akira, quickly looking away like he just remembered something. A soft smile appears on his face, so small and hopeful Akira no longer feels ashamed of anything he said. The brunette’s eyes water slightly, and when Akira open his mouth to apologize if he said something wrong, Goro just shakes his head a little, blinking few times, and replying, “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”

Akira doesn’t know what kind of life Goro is living, if being trapped in a café with a grumpy owner and with even more grumpy cat is an appealing idea. But before he has time to voice his thoughts, he’s interrupted, “I actually… brought you something.”

Now _that_ is something Akira would never expect, so without giving it much though, he waits for the detective to continue. Goro takes his briefcase and opens it, taking out small, flat box. It’s appearance definitely suggests it’s meant to be a gift, not just some random thing picked up at a souvenir shop.

“I, um… I frequent an antique shop I pass each day on my way to the station. It’s a little something that caught my attention.” he hands Akira the box, “It reminded me of you, so…”

Akira opens the box, immediately feeling the rush of emotions upon seeing the object sitting inside. 

A beautiful dreamcatcher, with a black hoop and red feathers, sits on the soft cushion underneath it. Akira is almost scared to touch it. It feels so unreal, that Akira thinks his fingers are going to go through it, like he’s just imagining this.

It reminded Goro of him. It’s easy to see why, colors clearly matching the ones of his Metaverse outfit. Akira figures he should try and express his gratitude somehow, but no words come to mind. Goro was thinking about him. He bought it for him because Akira came to his mind. It’s not just a trick to get closer to Akira this time. It’s a genuine, thoughtful gesture that brings tears to his eyes. Now it’s Goro’s turn to look unsure, quietly asking, “You don’t like it?” his voice small and careful.

Akira laughs, not wanting to give the impression of being ungrateful. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” The way he makes it sound feels like they’re married, and Goro just gave him an expensive necklace to show at the parties. But he doesn’t care. This is the truth. It’s the most delightful gift he ever gotten, and the fact it comes from Goro makes it hundred times better.

The brunette lets out a nervous laugh, “Ok. Good. I wasn’t sure if you’d accept a gift from me…”

“Oh, shut up.” Akira replies with a grin on his face, no malicious intent behind his words. Still, there is one question that comes to Akira’s mind. “So, you came here ready to announce the end of our acquaintanceship, but still you brought _this_ with you. Why?” 

Goro looks lost for a second, but it seems he already anticipated this question. “Its… hard to explain. I suppose when we arrived at Leblanc, I was feeling… imperious. Like despite what I first stated, you would forgive me anyway. But now, I don’t want to be insincere with you. I appreciate all you did for me in the past and I wanted to express my thanks somehow.”

Akira feels like the detective he knew got swapped with someone entirely different, such honest words are something the ravenette never though he would hear from Goro.

“I’m glad. And don’t worry about it, I’m happy it worked out like this.” Because how could he not be? It could only get better if he somehow discovered his feelings for the detective are mutual. But even with the past miracles, that one is too much to wish for.

Instead, a comfortable silence falls between them, Akira still admiring the dreamcatcher, and Goro stealing little glances in his direction, still afraid he’ll change his mind about the gift.

“Am I allowed to ask a question you so vehemently denied me before?” Goro decides to ask.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“If you realized from the very start we will turn out to be rivals, why didn’t it drive you away? Why try to befriend me, if I am a threat to your friends?”

“Because I care about you, you stupid idiot.” Akira opts for being direct. Any other options are doomed to fail, as he experienced many times before.

It would be better if they finished this conversation for today, any more than that and Goro will melt into a blushing puddle of embarrassment. But what else was he supposed to say? Akira might as well go for it, on the off chance that his life depends on how well he gets on with the detective. Maybe if he kissed him, he could forgot all about his plans and join them for real this time.

_Wait, no._

Even with all the evidence he has of the brunette having any kind of romantic feeling for him, that’s going way too far. However, if Goro decided he would like to initiate something like that, Akira would have no objections. 

“I care about you, too…” there it is again, voice so small and unsure, not meant to be heard but still determined to be let out for the world to be known. As much as it fills Akira with overwhelming joy, he can’t help but wonder what it means for his plan. How can his assassin be a boy so similar to him, who sits in the café for hours, sipping his coffee, who has been nothing but kind to him the entire time they’ve known each other, who bought him the most beautiful gift he’s ever seen? If he really cares about Akira, how will he be able to pull the trigger?

Akira really hopes he seems confident enough when he says, “See, that wasn’t so hard. We’ll be throwing love confessions at each other in no time.”

_Oh, sweet Jesus._

“…”

Akira didn’t choose his words carefully. His only hope for now is for the detective to take it as one of their usual banter. Which now that he thinks about it, makes no difference. And if he takes it seriously, then all the better for Akira.

(Un)fortunately, after a second Goro just laughs softly, closing his eyes, “I suppose we will.”

_What the hell does that even mean?_

“I suppose I also owe you an explanation for my reaction during the school festival, when you asked about my food blog?” Oh, yes please. Akira could use a distraction. “Sure.” He instantly regrets it, when a sad smile appears on the detective’s face.

“I know you didn’t know any better, but there are many of my coworkers who makes fun of me for running this blog.” Akira just needs names and he’d be off running to Mementos. “The truth is, it wasn’t my idea. It is a common practice for the celebrities to share their life on the social media of their choosing. If you don’t exist on the internet, you might as well be a nobody, after all. I never had any interest in the most well-known ones out there, so I settled for dedicating myself to my blog.”

Goro takes a deep breath, expression turning sour, “It was entertaining at first, but soon all of it seemed like a farce to me. I never cared that much about food to write lengthy paragraphs glorifying their taste or smell. I had to learn the hard way to never mention anything about my favorite places to visit, otherwise I’ll get flanked as soon as I enter.”

Akira can only stare at the brunette with sad eyes, offering words of sympathy. “That sucks. If anyone like that ever shows up at Leblanc, I’ll throw them out as soon as I see them.” Because he would, in a heartbeat.

Akira’s glad he managed to pull a little laugh from Goro. “Thank you. But I recall you saying you are my biggest fan, aren’t you?” he teased.

“Yeah, a fan, not a psycho. I’m not gonna harass you for an autograph.” Akira admits truthfully. He wouldn’t harass him anyway, he hopes their usual teasing doesn’t count as anything harmful. “I’m sure there are still some fans who aren’t nutjobs, right?”

Goro looks away, “Sadly, there aren’t that many of them. I’d be lying if I said that’s how I imagined fame to be like.” Akira feels a sudden urge to walk over to the detective and hug him, chasing away every thought that makes him look as miserable as he is right now.

“I know you didn’t mean any harm,” Goro continues, “but when you started acting like one of my fangirls, I couldn’t help but feel upset. I know it’s hard to believe, but you are the only person with whom I feel like I can stop pretending. Even when I wasn’t entirely truthful with you, it felt less taxing that it always is.” The revelation is both unnerving and heartbreaking for Akira.

“I’m sorry, I’ll make sure to never do that again.”

Goro smirks a little, “Just like I hope you’ll never get in habit of eating soap again.”

Akira laughs, “Don’t worry, I think I grew out of it. You’re telling me you never felt compelled to eat something with pretty colors and with an amazing smell?”

“I think I’m not going to try eating any hygiene products, I think the last internet trend worked out rather poorly.” 

Akira can’t help but be surprised the brunette actually knows about these stupid internet challenges. “How would you know about that, if you say you stay away from social media?”

“Easy to say when the last murder case was, in fact, somebody dying after eating a tide pod.”

Akira bursts out laughing, nearly falling out of the chair. “Are you serious? Wow, what a great case for a great Detective Prince.” 

Goro smiles, a semblance of genuine amusement showing on his face, “It’s worth being a detective for few precious moments such as these.”

“That reminds me, did I tell you a story about-“ he’s interrupted by a yawn, which Goro unsuccessfully tries to conceal. “Oh right. It’s getting really late, maybe we should finish for today.” He can feel his inner Morgana talking.

“I think that would be wise. I’m sorry, you’ll have to tell me your story some other time.” Goro stands up, taking his briefcase with him. Akira wants to offer staying here for the night, but he decides that both of them need time to process everything they talked about today on their own. So he walks up to the door with Goro, both of them saying their goodbyes and Akira expressing his gratitude for the wonderful present, and soon enough he is left alone in the café.

After many days of dreading the next day more than the last one, Akira finally feels a peculiar sense of calm washing over him. He never expected this day to go as well as it did. So it is with a wide grin and eyes shining with joy, that he takes his precious gift along with his bag, and walks upstairs. He instantly notices Morgana sitting behind the window, probably already waiting a long time to be let in. Once he’s standing in the attic, the complaints start.

“What were you two doing for so long? I though you’re lying dead on the floor and Akechi’s just standing over your corpse for an hour.” Well, that’s reassuring. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“I’m sorry, but everything’s okay now.”

Morgana shakes his head, “Clearly. My favorite smile is back in its place, I see. Were you two kissing the entire time or what?”

_God, I wish._

“God, I wish.” The cat puts on his best disgusted expression and instead of asking any more questions notices a box in Akira’s hand. “Hey, what’s this?”

“It’s from Goro. He picked it up in an antique shop, apparently it reminded him of me.” Akira smiles fondly, recalling how stunned he was when he first saw it.

“Oh boy. So for days you’re walking around moody as hell, have a talk that, by all means, looked like you were ready to kill each other, and now you’re telling me he bought you a gift?” Morgana asks, visibly struggling to make any sense of it all. He’s not going to succeed, Akira himself still can’t process most of it, but it doesn’t matter. Especially not now, when he looks at the dreamcatcher, already hanging above his bed, like a silent guardian watching over him.

“Oh, great” Morgana murmurs to himself, “now he has a crush on a freaking dreamcatcher.” He speaks louder this time. “You better go to sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Right, right. How could I forget.” And Akira looses himself for a few minutes in his usual routine before going to bed. It’s only after he’s ready to lay down he notices a new text message from Futaba. 

**Futaba** : Akira… _[p21m86n.mp3]download_

He groans in frustration, already expecting another round of his random flirtatious remarks. At least this time there weren’t that many, so he hopes she will stop at only two or three. He downloads the file, deciding to humor her this one time, even though shame is the last thing he wants to deal with today.

He’s wide awake instantly once he hears Goro’s voice, instead of his own.

_“I apologize… I know, but I have a suggestion… There is no need to kill the leader of the Phantom Thieves… I know, but… He will be much more useful alive, there’s no-… No, sir… No, I wasn’t implying-… The information he can provide us with will be lost if we decide to proceed with this plan!... I… My apologies… I wasn’t doubting you, sir… Understood… The plan will proceed with no changes…”_

Somewhere in the middle of the recording Akira’s eyes started to water. The file ends, and the phone falls from Akira’s grasp and disappears somewhere in the blanket. 

_He doesn’t want to kill me._

Akira smiles through the tears, hiding his face in his arms. Goro tried to oppose whoever he’s working for. He tried to change Akira’s fate. It sounds like he didn’t accomplish his goal, but it doesn’t matter. It tells Akira everything he needed to know. Goro doesn’t want to kill him. He cares for Akira, a definite proof of it is in plain sight. 

Morgana runs circles around Akira, trying to determine what caused him to burst into tears all of a sudden. Akira doesn’t bother explaining, continuing to weep like a child. After what seems like eternity of bad luck, there is still something that can be done. Nothing is set in stone yet. He still has time, he can change his own future, he can get Goro out of this. 

They can be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSSSSSSSSSSST (you guys want them to kiss y/n? cause I don't know how much you want to suffer)
> 
> Some useless comments about the chapter:  
> \- I ship it too, Futaba  
> \- I headcanon Akechi as someone who had no idea what he's getting into when he decided to be a celebrity, so the food blog is probably the most interesting thing he could come up with. It's not like he'd spend time updating his fb fanpage or twitting random thoughts  
> \- Guess who ate soap when they were younger (this girl)  
> \- I actually like the name Akechi better than Goro, so at first it was uncomfortable for me to write (unless it's extra fluff)  
> \- The whole argument in Leblanc took me way too long to figure out. It started with Akira being way to aggressive and I ended up deleting almost 500 words (ok, it's not that bad, but it's like 15 minutes of my precious free time)  
> \- Akira not choosing his words carefully is a reference to rank 9 for female confidants (obviously, I tried to be funny)  
> \- I'm sorry for mentioning cursed toilet food  
> \- *Narrator voice* They can't, in fact, be free.  
> \- Overall, I am super unhappy with this chapter. I wrote like half of it last night, and after six hours I finished with a splitting headache, but I refuse to spend any more time on this cause it's almost a week without a new chapter
> 
> With that said, I will be taking a two (2) (T-W-O) days break from writing, so my brain has a chance to cool down and stop hurting. After this, I'll have to finally get to writing an essay that I have to submit by the end of August, but it's only 3 pages, so it'll take another two days. I'd do it in one, but it's boring so I might need two days for this. 
> 
> I want to take my time with the last two chapters, because they're the ones I've been looking forward to the most. So I predict it will take two weeks at most for the next chapter to arrive. But as you already know, I'm pretty fast writer (surprisingly, since I was expecting to give up after, like, two chapter), so it'll probably be here faster than that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, look at the time! It's I can't fucking stop writing-o'clock.

_There is a Boy, putting his heart on the line._

_There is a Barista, caring more for a life not of his own._

~~~~~

The next day’s infiltration goes better than ever before. Without the constant tension between Akira and Goro, everyone feels a little more relaxed, seeing how their leader seems to be more cooperative and talkative. Akira feels guilty, if he had noticed earlier how cautious everyone was not only because of their new team member, but also because of his moodiness, he’d put more effort into looking out for the group, instead of moping and isolating himself.

After the last night’s late meeting with Goro, Akira is finally able to enjoy the exploration properly, taking the role of a leader and eventually showing his true skills during enemy encounters. Following his lead, the rest of the group becomes more open for talking with their new teammate, Akira noticing with contentment how everyone else tries to make small talks or give each other tips. 

Akira expects Goro to put on his Detective Prince mask and behave as polite and formal as he can, covering his obvious knowledge of the Metaverse with a curious stare or courteous nod. However, he’s pleased to see that sometimes, during their short breaks in safe rooms, Goro is the one to initiate a conversation and not resort to fake smiles, visibly trying his best to get on everyone’s good side. Even if it looks feigned or exaggerated, Akira certainly appreciates the effort.

He might appreciate it a little too much, seeing how every time the detective tries to hold a conversation with somebody, Akira watches him intently, which doesn’t escape the group’s attention. And even though they already got used to the constant staring contests, with Joker and Crow being the main contenders, with the air around them no longer tense like before, they become bolder in stating their opinions about it.

Surprisingly, they’re not as disapproving as Akira expected. Within one day of exploration no longer bound by the feeling of apprehension, Akira already heard that his googly eyes are both cute and concerning, from girls and guys respectively, Crow included. Granted, the girls already tried to make Goro admit to his staring too, Akira quietly giggling in the background, the brunette shooting daggers with his eyes, unaware of proving the girl’s point. 

Despite making one half of the group entertained and the other half disturbed, the thieves prefer _this_ much more than the previous constant uneasiness, so they let Akira be. The upcoming arrest aside, the group feels happy for their leader, glad he can find a peace of mind at least for a little while. So with their spirits high, the thieves press on, approaching another challenge the casino has in store for them.

With the house of darkness beat with less problems than anticipated, the team moves forward to the battle arena, another obstacle in obtaining access to the bridge. As the name implies, this one shouldn’t cause any trouble, considering how they spend majority of their time on fights anyway. Except this time there is a catch. There is only one person who can participate. 

Akira has no doubts about who will be taking on this challenge, already stepping forward, ready to enter the arena. He is quickly stopped by his teammates, obviously alarmed by the rules presented by one of the dealers.

“Are you sure about this? You will have to fight alone…” Yusuke voices his concerns.

“But… that’s why Joker’s the one who can do it, right? I mean, I understand why…” Ann tries to justify Akira’s decision, “J-just be careful, ok? Don’t do anything reckless in there.”

With the group’s mind more or less made up, Akira proceeds to hand over 10,000 yen to the dealer, starting the challenge and hoping to get ten times as much in return , only to be stopped by the hand on his shoulder.

“Wait!” Goro, who previously stayed at the back of the team, moved to stand next to Akira, eyes filled with determination. “This feels like a trap to me. An amount that high would certainly ensure great danger.”

“But failure to infiltrate this palace will be the end of us.” Makoto tries to reason with Goro.

“So we don’t get a choice…” Ryuji says with a sense of finality. 

Akira opens his mouth to reassure Goro, but is quickly silenced. “Let _me_ go instead. I’m certain I can win this for us without putting our leader in danger.”

_He’s worried._

“I get where you’re coming from Crow, but we need Joker’s adaptability.” Morgana says, “You’re pretty good, but two types of attacks might not be enough for this challenge.”

Goro lets go of Akira’s shoulder, stepping back with downcast eyes and biting inside of his mouth, “I apologize, you’re right. But we need to think ahead in case of the unforeseen incidents.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much we can do.” Makoto interrupts, “We can only hope that no foul play is in place.”

“I’ll be fine.” Akira finally manages to interject, “You all just cheer me on from the side, alright?” 

And so with the final agreement from the team, Akira enters the arena, firing up for a fight. But the first battle already proves that fair play is an alien concept in this place, because one-on-one combat quickly changes into two-on-one, and soon enough into three-on-one. 

Akira can’t say he’s surprised, it was obvious it’s not going to be that easy. He might be getting a little tired, but he’s certain he can win this, and wants the rest of the team to believe that too. Because what little time he has to glance in their direction, says that Futaba is doing what she can to turn the tide in his favor, everyone else cheers him on like crazy, and Goro grips the railing so hard he’s probably ready to jump in the ring with him at any sight of real troubles. The scene warms his heart, but he has no time to dwell on this, busy dodging upcoming attacks. 

With the last opponent defeated, Akira can finally breathe easy, walking back to the rest of the team. Everyone immediately rushes to his side, voicing their amazement at his performance and relief it’s thankfully over with. The only one who’s silent is Goro, still standing behind the rest of the group, only sending him shy half-smiles. 

On the way to the bridge, the team finally having enough coins to cross it, Akira slows down and walks next to the brunette, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Hey, are you okay?”

Goro looks up, “I should be asking you that, no?” and after short deliberation he adds, “I was worried.”

Akira is yet to familiarize himself with this new side of Goro, this open and honest, so the raven does one thing that can always distract the detective from his melancholic self. “Oh, come on. You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

A tiny smile finally shows up on Goro’s face, “Who says I want to?” The underlying meaning of this exchange is better left forgotten for now. The phone call Futaba managed to record is still fresh in Akira’s mind, and he’d rather not think about what’s going on in the brunette’s brain. He still needs to proceed with the plan, whether he changed his mind about killing Akira or not.

Akira isn’t scared anymore. They have a plan in place, one that will ensure that the thief will walk away unscathed, as much as it’s possible at least. He’s scared of only one thing: if Goro is truly honest with him, no matter how it will affect the detective, he can’t let him know he’s alive. And it will take every ounce of his self-control not to reach out to him. 

But there is no point thinking about it now. Akira still hopes they won’t have to resort to this plan. So for now he just bumps Goro in the shoulder, smiling widely and saying “I like you, too.” The brunette looks away bashfully, “But it goes both ways, you know? If there is another challenge like this, I can take it no problem. So don’t put yourself in harm’s way, I don’t want you getting hurt in my stead, okay?”

Goro studies his words for a while, looking forward with determined look in his eyes and replies, “Are you underestimating me?” 

The last thing Akira wants, is to make the detective think he’s looking down on him. “Of course not, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Goro lets out a sigh, “I know, I just… I’m glad it’s over.” 

“Now it’s only a matter of crossing the bridge and hoping nothing else gets in our way.”

“Oh, believe me. I’ll make sure it won’t.” Goro says a little too menacingly for Akira’s liking.

It turns out he wasn’t lying, because as soon as another trouble appears, and the number of coins needed to get to the treasure increases, Goro pulls out the card he was meant to destroy, turning everything in thieves’ favor. In that moment Akira is immensely glad they got Crow on their team, because truth be told, as much as the team relies on Akira for strategies, he has troubles wrapping his head around how Goro managed to pull that off.

Once the treasure is within their sight, the group leaves the palace with a considerable amount of days left until the deadline. When they return to the real world, the thieves quickly go over their plans for the next infiltration of Mementos, and bidding each other goodbye, they disperse and head home.

~~~~~

The flu season rolls around, and with it, it’s time for the Phantom Thieves to catch up to the request they neglected for the last few weeks. With the shadows weakened by the ailments, it’s much easier for them to plow through the hoards blocking their way, getting faster to the ones causing trouble for people Akira feels the closest to. 

He can’t say he’s having the best time of his life. Seeing how the thieves are already done with Sae’s palace, exploring Mementos seems like a logical thing to do, especially with the shadows as weak as they are. Despite that, Akira isn’t on top of his game, getting constantly distracted and overlooking the obvious openings he could have taken advantage of. All because of nightmares he can’t seem to get rid of. 

They start innocently enough not to alarm him, but end up keeping him on edge through the majority of the mornings. Dark spaces, silent whispers he can’t quite decipher, people he knows well, shouting for unknown reasons, the nightmares ending with loud noises, Akira waking up with a gasp, taking quick, shuddering breaths, trying not to rouse Morgana from his own peaceful dreams. Small things which somehow scare him enough to not get enough sleep for the rest of the night. 

He’s good enough at hiding it for the group to not know any better. The bags under his eyes are not big enough to pose a problem, and with the mask he’s wearing they blend in perfectly. Or so he thinks. It seems he’s not the only one of the Phantom Thieves who’s struggling with the same issue.

Because with their staring contest not stopping even for a day, Akira already noticed how Goro has it worse than him. The brunette looks like he hadn’t slept for few days straight. The black rings under his eyes can rival the color of Akira’s hair, his face is pale and without the usual mischevious spark he always seems to hold. His reactions are definitely slower than ever, unconsciously relying on other party members to fill the gaps in his defenses. 

Their eyes meet, but Akira doesn’t look away, hoping that his persistence will at least make the detective fall back a little bit, and not put himself on the front lines as he’s already in habit of doing. Instead of a sly smirk, he gets a frown in return. Akira is unsure if it’s because of the fact he noticed Akira struggling with the same problem, or his fear of being underestimated and trying to prove himself.

There is, however, one thing that remains the same, and in the midst of fighting Akira has a chance to experience it. He’s way to reckless when he can’t afford to be, his reflex to guard dulled and speed not quite fitting for his level of experience. So many hits he should have taken already, and yet he remains unharmed. All thanks to Crow, who stands vigilant at his side, covering his blind spots and moving with unexpected swiftness. 

Akira feels guilt gnawing at him. Goro clearly pushes himself too hard for his sake, but makes no sound of protest at Akira’s clumsiness, standing beside him with weary eyes, scanning the environment for any more danger. There is nothing to be said between them, at least not now, in the middle of the task they assigned themselves with for today. So instead of words, Akira opts for a gaze full of regret and plea for forgiveness, as if to say _I’m sorry, I know I should be more careful_. Goro can only look back at him, tired eyes with no grudge in them, replying _Don’t worry. I’ll be by your side any time you need me_. And so they move further into the collective consciousness, each floor bringing them closer to their target.

With every shadow defeated, they feel themselves growing stronger. They gain more experience in fighting, feel more at ease with performing their attacks and defeat their enemies faster, so after a while Akira decides it’s time for a real challenge, Reaper hunting.

It’s probably the stupidest idea he ever had, Akira realizes, but with the number of shadows inflicted with despair increasing by the second, the chances are that the Reaper will be affected by it as well. His own grogginess shouldn’t be a problem, with their opponents practically being their own enemies more often than not. So when they have a chance, they camp for few minutes in one of the corners in the middle of the dark labyrinth, waiting for the rattling of the chains.

They’re lucky, the first two Reapers they encounter aren’t a threat. When they disappear, leaving only a wisp of blackness behind, the thieves feel the surge of energy like never before, feeling like they could go to the very end of Mementos in one day only. Akira is drunk with power, only stopping when the ’third time is the charm’ proverb doesn’t work out during their hunt. Another Reaper crosses their path, but this time the team has no chance at defeating it. Morgana drives as fast as he can, reaching the safe room in record time, the shelter temporarily giving the thieves a chance to catch their breathes after a mad dash to get to the safe haven. 

Unfortunately, the team still has one request to take care of, and it’s located on the floor they just escaped from. In that moment Akira thinks he might have screwed up, but it seems that everyone else are guilty of getting carried away, judging by the unsure looks and heads cast downwards. Regardless of the unfortunate hitch in their plans, they have to come back and get to their target, avoiding the Reaper all the same. So without wasting any more time, they go back and look for their last remaining target before finally returning to the real world.

Surprisingly, the Reaper they were trying to escape from seems to have disappeared, the floor silent, no more wavering walls scared of the presence roaming around. It’s for the better, seeing how the last challenge for the day proves to be much harder than they anticipated, even with their newfound energy. But eventually, with enough determination and using every ounce of power they still possess, it finally goes down. And it’s for the better, because as soon as it vanishes the thieves slump on the ground, worn out but feeling accomplished.

“Woohoo! Oh man, this was harder than I though.” Ryuji shouts enthusiastically, no amount of exhaustion is enough to snuff out his never-ending excitement. 

“I agree, this particular shadow posed much bigger challenge than we expected.” Yusuke adds, his quiet demeanor not betraying even a sliver of fatigue. 

“We should go back, we’re done here.” Morgana heads for the exit, expecting everyone else to follow. Akira senses a slight change in the air, but makes no move to voice his anxiousness. 

He makes for the entrance to the area, leading everyone outside, hearing their chatter behind him. 

“But man, these Reapers are awesome! Hey Joker, think you can negotiate with them and make them fight for you?” Ryuji asks, Akira considering it for a while. The idea itself is not bad, but the circumstances in which he could make it happen are not something he wants to repeat. 

“I think I had enough of the Reapers to last for a lifetime. Let’s get out of here before another one shows up.” Akira replies, turning around to finally head for the exit. He doesn’t manage to take even one step.

In retrospect it should have been obvious. He was distracted by the noise of his teammates talking, but it couldn’t have been enough to muffle the sound surrounding them. The chains. It’s enough to tell how tired they really were, if they completely overlooked such an important cue for them to get the hell out when they still had a chance. 

But they didn’t. So now, even before fully turning around, Akira can see the panic raising in the thieves’ eyes, hands reaching out to him, trying to get him out of the danger he’s not even aware he’s in. His eyes finally manage to find the source of the distress. Another Reaper. Maybe even the same one as before, silencing his presence only to attack from the shadows. The scythe is already raised, the Reaper swinging it down with barely a second to spare. There is no chance for Akira to react. Dodging is already out of the question, he can’t even manage to lift his legs off the ground, standing in place and staring numbly at the sight before him.

It’s such a stupid way to die. Despite facing the death itself, Akira can’t help but laugh at his own stupidity. He should feel something else than pity for his own pathetic self, but it’s the only feeling fluttering in his chest when he thinks the last thing he’ll see in his life is… a red cape flashing before him?

Akira is pushed back with enough strength to force the air out of his lungs, landing on the ground with a body lying on top of him. There are too many thoughts flying through his mind to register them all at once. From the corner of his eyes Akira sees a scythe that didn’t reach him, sees the rest of the team cluttering around him, feels the dread quickly raising within him, finally acknowledging the sound of the most terrifying scream he ever heard in his life.

Akira is safe, pushed back just in time, the Reaper still standing before them, cutting off their only escape route, and Goro is laying on top of the ravenette, with a gash across his chest and blood already soaking through his torn up jacket, struggling for every breath through the pain. 

Akira’s mind is full and yet he feels empty. Only the simplest of thoughts are able to break through the despair. _We need to get away. Goro is hurt. We can’t fight anymore. He saved me. Goro is hurt. It’s my fault. We need to run. I didn’t want this. I’m scared. Please, forgive me._

Akira shifts as gently as he can, holding Goro by his shoulders and laying him down on the ground, careful not to aggravate the wound further. He barely registers Morgana trying to muster up enough energy to heal Goro as much as he can, doesn’t notice Ryuji and Yusuke holding Goro down, so he won’t hurt himself more, doesn’t hear the sound of battle on his left, the rest of the team trying to hold the Reaper back with what little strength they still have left. He only sees Goro’s shuddering frame, his face contorted in a pained grimace, not able to prevent the whimpers and cries of agony from getting out.

Akira slowly stands up, his face blank and fists clenched. He can finally feel the senses coming back to him. He turns around, the world speeding up, Akira breaking out from the slow motion his mind put him into. He takes careful and deliberate steps towards their enemy, eyes burning and his personas ready to exact revenge. No words are needed for his teammates to move away, the air around him tensing and shadows dancing around him in search of blood. Akira smirks and laughs quietly with a voice that’s not his own, lunging at the Reaper.

Despite the group’s exhaustion, Akira feels like he’s just getting started. Attack after attack, his movement speeds up, dodging the scythe and exploiting every weaknesses and openings the Reaper doesn’t even know he has. Akira forces it to move back, finally clearing the path for the rest of the team to run to the safe room. 

“Run, everyone!” he shouts, seeing through the corner of his eye how they scramble to their feet, Morgana transforming and driving out from the dead end, slowing down enough for Akira to jump on the roof and instantly swerving out of the way of an upcoming attacks. Only when the Reaper is out of range and he’s not posing a threat anymore, Akira notices how blurry his sight got, tears slowly running down his cheeks.

It gets worse when the thieves finally reach the safe room. Akira is by Goro’s side in a second, the boys lifting him up from the backseat and the ravenette taking off his coat, so the brunette won’t have to lay down on the cold ground. Akira kneels down next to Goro, cupping his head in his hands, running his thumbs through the mop of chestnut hair, hoping to bring at least some kind of comfort. So far he avoided looking down to where the scythe tore through his chest, but he can’t look away anymore.

Akira hoped that in the time it took him to fight the Reaper, Morgana managed to heal Goro enough to close the wound, or at least slow down the bleeding. But the wound is too disastrous and the team too tired for the effects of their healing to show, so Akira is forced to watch as Goro struggles to steady his breathing, taking shuddering breaths and whimpering with his head on Akira’s lap. The remaining healing items they have are not enough to make a significant difference, only making the brunette thrash around more, trying to get away from the feeling of a healing magic trying to sew him back together. 

Akira doesn’t even try to hide his tears at this point, emotions finally catching up to him and hitting him with full force. It’s all his fault. He was reckless and sloppy, letting his guard down as soon as they finished their task and not paying attention to anything else but the way back to the exit. He should have known that Reapers are not to be taken lightly, that he shouldn’t try and take them on, especially with how clumsy he’s been through the entire infiltration. He’s seen how Goro always puts himself in danger because of him, no matter how many times Akira tells him he can manage on his own. And now Goro is paying the price for Akira’s carelessness.

He told himself he has nothing to fear anymore, that the plan to get Akira out of the police’s grasp ensures he can put his mind at ease, but it’s not true. Because in that moment, Akira realizes that there’s something more he cares about than his own life. And he’s terrified to lose it. 

“Why did you do that?” Akira manages to rasp out through his sobs, “What the hell were you thinking?” 

Despite his weakened state, Goro forces himself to open his eyes just enough to look at Akira, trying to get the words out and reply. “A… Aki- _nghh_ ” that’s all he manages to say, eyes closing again and clenching his teeth to stop himself from crying out as the team tries to get the wound to close again.

“Shhh… I got you. You’ll be fine, I promise.” Akira coos, running his fingers through his hair with one hand, and caressing his cheek with the other to stop him from talking. Goro is getting weaker and weaker by the second, no longer able to keep his eyes open. His limbs lay unmoving, only small shudders running through his body keep him from falling unconscious. 

Akira doesn’t know when the air around them switched to green hue, but soon enough he hears his personas chanting the words he doesn’t understand, borrowing their powers for the second time today, sensing that Akira needs them again to save his beloved. The hands that still cup Goro’s head glow with healing power, enveloping both boys in a green light, slowly mending the broken skin together. It’s enough for Goro’s body to finally relax enough for him to slip into unconsciousness, going limp in Akira’s hands still not letting him go.

Soon enough it turns out that even Akira’s reserves of power are not endless, the raven feeling light-headed and swaying to the side, feeling someone holding him up, still refusing to loosen his hold on Goro. The air returns to normal, Akira noticing with victory in his eyes that the wound closed up, leaving only an angry red trail behind. He can only hope that with the injuries being far less serious in the real world, it will be enough for the detective to get back on his feet in no time.

Only after coming back to normal, and the air no longer cracking with power does Akira notice how silent it is. Looking around slowly, he meets the faces of his teammates, looking at him in awe.

“Duuuude… That was awesome! Do you ever get tired?” Ryuji exclaims, albeit with less enthusiasm than usual. 

“It’s fascinating how far people can go for their muses.” Yusuke adds, Akira too tired to even deny the implication.

“It seems the power of love can really overcome anything.” Haru says cheerfully. There’s no point in Akira denying anything anymore, so he just looks back at Goro, relief finally washing over him.

“We better get back. It would be a disaster if we encountered another enemy on our way, and Crow needs rest. He lost a lot of blood, after all.” Morgana advised. Akira couldn’t agree more, all he wants is to get back to Leblanc and take Goro with him, somewhere no harm can find him.

So Akira lifts him up slowly, aware of his own exhaustion and feeling his knees tremble, careful to hold himself upright. Not a minute later the thieves are all sitting inside Morgana, Akira on the back with Goro leaning on him, laying the brunette’s head on his shoulder and Akira holding him tightly. The thief rests his head on top of Goro’s, closing his eyes and listening to the detective’s fast and shallow breaths, grateful more than anything else for the fact he’s finally safe.

When they reach the entrance, they spare no time on getting back to the real world. They agree to come back to Leblanc together, heading towards the subway station with Akira holding Goro in the center of their group, the rest trying to shield them from prying eyes. Akira is still weak from the Metaverse, feeling like his arms might give out any second, but still refusing to let somebody else take Goro from him. 

When they get to Leblanc, Futaba comes in first, seeing if any customers still linger in the café, afraid of being questioned. Fortunately, the café is empty, the only occupant is Sojiro who eyes them suspiciously, his eyes widening at the sight of Akira holding the unconscious detective in his arms. Before he starts his questioning, Akira already storms upstairs, leaving the rest of the group to explain the situation. 

Akira breathes the sigh of relief when he lays the brunette down on the bed. His arms feel numb, knees buckling under him, but with the last of his strength he manages to pull the chair in front of the bed, so he can be closer to Goro. He proceeds to unbutton the detective’s coat, leaving it lying under him, Akira not having enough energy to push the brunette up again. He needs to make sure the wound poses no more threat to Goro.

Pulling his shirt up, Akira thinks how he’ll never look at the detective’s chest without today’s events tainting the experience. Assuming Goro will ever grant him an opportunity to do that. The red line is still there, although less angry than in the Metaverse. The blood loss, however, is still a problem they have to deal with.

Akira hears a chatter downstairs, the thieves’ explanation, Sojiro’s disbelieving grunts, the bells indicating someone leaving. He figures he should run back downstairs, inform them someone should go to the clinic to get Takemi, but he’s too tired to move. He leans on the shelves, still sitting on the chair and watching over Goro, closing his eyes for a second. A minute break won’t hurt.

~~~~~

_It’s dark, and Akira is alone. No matter where he turns, there is no escape from the darkness. He runs, trying to find something, anything, that can help him get away from this place. He feels eyes on him, the presence is everywhere, closing in, suffocating and dangerous._

_“Worthless.” the darkness whispers._

_“Your fault.”_

_“Helpless.”_

_Akira can smell a metallic scent in the air, but it’s too dark and he can’t stop running. There are silhouettes on the horizon, Akira moving towards them. He wishes he didn’t._

_The bodies of his teammates lay around him, the smell of blood making him feel nauseous. The twisted limbs and blood still dripping from the open wounds make Akira retch, holding a hand to his mouth, trying to turn back but he’s frozen in place. The more time he stays in this place, the more details his eyes can spot._

_There is one more figure, standing just the opposite of him, behind the pile of bodies in front of him. It’s silent, just like the rest of this place, the whispers finally leaving him alone. There is a gun in the figure’s hand, lighting up like a flashlight. As the figure brings the gun to rest against their temple, Akira recognizes who it is._

_Goro stands in front of him, holding a gun in his hand which lights up his face. Whatever face he still has left. The skin falls off in patches, the blood oozing from every crack it can find. Akira looks him in the eyes, realizing there are no eyes to look at, only empty sockets, black gunk falling from them freely. Akira can no longer hold the contents of his stomach from escaping, doubling over and letting it spill on the floor beneath him._

_Akira tries to stand upright, still coughing and fighting off the disgust, when Goro speaks up. “It’s your fault. You’re worthless. You can’t save anybody.” Akira flinches from every grating sound Goro makes. He’s spared from hearing anything else, when Goro pulls the trigger, bullet going straight through his head and Akira screams._

Akira wakes up thrashing, scream fresh on his lips. He feels more than hears the weight near his legs making noise of protest, the blanket thrown as far as Akira can manage, falling from whatever surface he’s been laying on. 

As his head hits the floor, Akira grunts and tries to look around, seeing nothing but darkness again. Before he has a chance to scream again, he hears a voice hovering close. “Akira, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare again?” 

_Nightmare…_

Akira takes few deep breaths, trying to study his surroundings. He’s in his attic, that much he can tell, with the moonlight shining through the window. He was sleeping on the sofa, for the reasons his brain is quite unable to comprehend yet. “What hour is it?” is not a question that will grant him a full understanding of the situation, but at least this little detail will help him ground himself in the reality. 

“I don’t know. It’s the middle of the night, that’s for sure.” Morgana replies, Akira sees the cat’s silhouette stretching on the sofa. When Akira starts to question the circumstances which lead him to sleep on the sofa instead of his fellow crates, his eyes fly wide open. He scrambles to his feet, finding the switch and letting the light shine in the attic. He looks at the bed instantly, noticing a prone figure laying in his bed, the blanket over them and an IV stand with a blood bag hanging on it, standing next to the bed. 

_Goro!_

Akira is by the bedside in a flash, looking down at the brunette’s unconscious form. He looks better than in the Metaverse, color returning to his cheeks already, but his breathing still too shallow and fast for Akira’s liking. He brings his hand to Goro’s cheek, trying to gently coax him into waking up, but with no effect. 

“Goro?” Akira sits down on the chair, not breaking the contact, careful not to touch the IV line hooked up to Goro’s arm. 

“Takemi said it’s gonna be few more hours before he’ll wake up.” It seems Akira somehow missed out on the entire aftermath of coming back to Leblanc, and wasn’t even aware of it.

“Morgana… what did I miss?” Akira asks.

Morgana jumps from the sofa to sit on the bed beside Goro, careful not to bother him. “We finished explaining everything to Boss while Ann and Ryuji run off to the clinic to get Takemi. When we got upstairs, we noticed you dozed off while leaning on the shelves and didn’t even noticed when we moved you to the sofa.” Akira can’t say he’s surprised, the last evening was the most tired he ever felt. Still, it didn’t help to escape from the nightmares.

“When Takemi came here,” Morgana continues, “she said there is no need to worry about internal bleeding, but the blood loss needed to be fixed immediately. So with the information we got from Akechi’s wallet, she managed to find the correct blood type for him, and hooked him up to the IV. We thought it’ll be best to let you both rest for the night. The team will be here after school ends.” Morgana sums up. 

Akira can only feel the disappointment with himself. The rest of the thieves arranged to get Takemi here, probably stayed in Leblanc for hours to make sure Goro isn’t left alone, and all he was doing was sleeping. He caused all this and couldn’t even stay by his side when he needed him. 

“Fuck,” Akira curses, “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have let me sleep through this.”

“You were tired, you needed the rest.” Morgana justifies.

“Everyone was tired. It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have been allowed to just run away from this.”

Morgana looks at Akira in disbelief. “Akira, you saved him. If you hadn’t healed him back in the Mementos, there would be no chance for us to get him to the hospital in time. He could have died if not for your help!”

Akira clenches his teeth, Morgana’s words bringing him no comfort. “Bullshit! If not for me he wouldn’t look like this. If I was more careful there would be no need for any of that. He wouldn’t be hurt, everything would be fine…” Akira feels his voice cracking at the end of his speech, his eyes starting to water. 

Morgana’s eyes are soft when he walks closer to Akira, voice gentler and steady. “Akira, you can’t blame yourself for this. All of us got carried away and got reckless. Looking back at it, I think I heard the chains getting closer, but instead of telling everybody, I thought I was just hearing things. I’m as much to blame as you are.” The ravenette can’t tell if Morgana’s lying to make him feel better.

Akira can’t focus on what the cat’s saying anyway, his eyes are fixated on Goro, tears threatening to fall. Akira is so tired. He apparently slept for few hours at least, but the nightmare drained him once again, leaving him weary and twitchy. He wishes he could go back in time, fix everything and make the guilt leave him be. But now, he knows he should sit here until the morning, trying to make up for the time he should have sat by the bedside watching over the brunette.

“Please, Akira. You still need to rest.” Morgana adds, watching Akira’s expression shifting, determination taking over the despair. “I’ll sleep beside him, if he wakes up I’ll let you know immediately.”

To his surprise, Akira starts considering his options, the resolve quickly melting under the prospect of few more hours of rest. “There is no use sitting here and waiting for him to wake up, you need to be strong to watch over him tomorrow.” Morgana tries to convince him.

With the last apologetic look, Akira turns away from Goro, standing up and walking over to the light switch. “Promise me you’ll wake me up.” Akira can’t trust Morgana when it comes to sleep. 

“I promise. Even though I think you need the rest, I know he’s important to you.” Akira can’t help but smile at that, feeling a tiny hint of normalcy returning to the attic.

“Thanks.” He switches off the light, and walks back to the sofa. Akira covers himself with the blanket, setting an alarm for 7AM, not to get ready for school, but to have enough time for Sojiro to come to Leblanc, and notify them he’s not going to be present today. There is no way he’ll let Goro wake up alone. He sees Morgana lay down close to the brunette, brushing his arms so he’ll wake up instantly at the feel of any movement. The sleep comes to Akira easier than he thought.

~~~~~

It doesn’t take much of convincing for Sojiro to let Akira stay home for the day, only needing one look at the teenager's tired face to take pity on him. He calls the school and informs them that Akira came down with a cold, an excuse easy to believe since they’re in the middle of the flu season. Sojiro decides it would be better to close the café for the day, especially with the prospect of the rest of the group flooding Leblanc after school ends.

Not getting enough rest after the sudden awakening in the middle of the night, makes Akira almost as grumpy as he is worried. It’s 8AM, and Goro still hasn’t woken up. Hours pass, and he spends them mostly on brooding by the bedside and walking back and forth through the attic, Morgana interrupting his ponderings with comments Akira can’t quite trust.

It’s around noon when Futaba comes to Leblanc, guessing Akira might need the company. Despite much needed distraction, her presence doesn’t really ease Akira’s guilty consciousness, especially when she adapts the same strategy as Morgana. The silence soon overtakes the attic again, everyone idly passing the time, lost in their own minds.

“It’s my fault” and surprisingly, it’s not Akira who says it. He turns around on the chair, looking at Futaba who perched herself on the sofa. “I should have sensed the Reaper. But… it came from nowhere! By the time I noticed it was already too late.”

Morgana puts a paw on her knee, saying the same words he already practiced so many times on Akira “It’s not your fault. I sensed something was wrong before the attack, and I kept silent. I’m as much to blame as you.” the cat sends knowing stares Akira’s way, the ravenette ignoring him and turning around. Apologizing won’t turn back time. 

Somewhere along the line Takemi comes by, checking up on Goro, taking the IV and empty blood bag with her. The verdict is short, the brunette is on the clear and should be waking up soon. She doesn’t accept any payment either, claiming that Akira has been such a great guinea pig to her, she is willing to do him that one favor.

It’s almost evening when the rest of the thieves finally barge into the café, filling it with chatter and laughter. They tone it down when they walk upstairs, still mindful of their fallen companion. They immediately start asking questions, if Akira got enough rest at night, what did Takemi say, did Goro wake up at all. Akira tries to explain as much as he can, getting lost in their lighthearted banters and jokes, feeling himself smiling softly for the first time since yesterday. 

Not once do they mention whose fault it was, there are no accusations flying in the air, and no tension or anger. Just firm assurances of better future and concerned looks in both Akira’s and Goro’s direction. That’s when Akira realizes he’s not the only one who is affected by this situation. Everyone else blames themselves to some degree, never letting it cloud their judgment. And he allows himself to relax, weight finally lifted from his shoulders, hearing himself join some silly conversation he’s been half listening to.

It’s already way past the sunset when everyone heads home, Akira only now hearing the rumble coming from his stomach. With an apologetic look towards still unconscious Goro, he heads downstairs to make himself some curry. Morgana comes along, seeing how Akira is much more talkative than before, hoping to finally have a chance at normal conversation. But Akira is silent, busying himself with making curry, his friends clearing his doubts about himself and letting him breathe easier.

It’s when Akira is almost done preparing his food that he hears the stairs creaking, leaving everything he’s doing and running out of the kitchen. Sure enough, the first thing he sees is Goro standing at the base of the stairs, gripping the railing tightly and legs trembling. When he notices Akira, he tries to flash him his trademark smile, which comes out more like a scornful grimace, with his still half-lidded eyes and corners of his lips twitching. 

Akira is by his side in a second, reaching out to take him by the hand and guide him to the booth. But as soon as Akira’s near him, Goro swats his hand away, leaning away from the railing and walking by himself on unsteady legs. “Goro…?”

He doesn’t answer, instead focusing on taking few steps towards the chairs by the counter. He sways a little, and settles on taking the first one standing near the kitchen, instead of trying to go for his usual seat. 

That’s not how Akira imagined it to go. He was supposed to be there when Goro woke up. He was supposed to take care of him, and let him out of the bed only when he was absolutely sure the brunette is well enough to get up. All the promises he made to himself about being there for him and protecting him are broken again.

Morgana seems to be as confused as Akira, walking near the detective and chiding him, “Akechi, you shouldn’t be up yet. You still need to rest.”

“ ’m fine...” comes Goro’s eloquent response, stunning Akira further. The brunette finally manages to sit down on the chair, steadily enough to not fall from it the second he gets dizzy again. Despite Goro refusing help earlier, Akira hovers close, putting a hand on Goro’s shoulder once he’s seated. He feels the detective’s back tensing, but leaving the hand be this time.

“Goro, how are you feeling?” Akira asks, the voice dripping with concern. 

“I said I’m fine.” the animosity in Goro’s voice is something Akira would never expect, not to mention his words definitely contradicting his current state. It makes Akira doubt himself again, thinking he must have done something wrong to get this kind of reaction. Is Goro mad he wasn’t there when he woke up? Does he think it’s all Akira’s fault, after all?

“Why are you acting like this, we want to help you!” Morgana exclaims, Akira biting his lip at the sound of the cat’s words. At this rate he will only make the brunette more aggravated. 

Goro scowls, glaring at Morgana, “I don’t need your help.” Goro says, his voice cold.

“Like hell you don’t! If not for Akira-“

“I’ll, um….! Make you some curry, alright? You must be hungry.” Akira says awkwardly, not wanting to make everything worse. “Morgana, wait upstairs, please.” 

The cat glares at him, but complies out of spite, understanding that leaving the brunette to Akira is probably the better choice than dealing with Goro being this hostile. While Morgana disappears upstairs, Akira is left alone with Goro, finishing up the curry he already heat up. 

He walks up to Goro, setting the plate before him, watching the detective closely. He ignores the curry in front of him and sits there with determined expression, like he’s trying hard to remember something. 

“You need to eat, you’re still weak.” Goro only turns his head, his face scrunching up, and biting his lips. But after a moment he sighs, wincing slightly, his eyes closing and expression softening.

“What happened?” 

And Akira talks. He tells him everything that happened in Mementos, how he tried to fight the Reaper to make way for the thieves to run, how they tried to heal him with no effect. He omits the part of him being the one to heal Goro, hoping the brunette was out of it enough to forget about this. Akira doesn’t want Goro to think he owes him anything, not after getting him into this situation in the first place. 

He talks of how they finally got to the exit, everyone running back to Leblanc and calling Takemi. Akira doesn’t say anything about him falling asleep either, opting to go with the version Morgana cited to him. He finishes the story with the events of today, Takemi coming back and taking the medical equipment back with her, the rest of the thieves waiting for him to wake up all day. 

Goro only stares at nothing in particular, not reacting to anything Akira tells him. When the ravenette stops talking, instead of saying anything, Goro focuses on the curry in front of him and starts eating. Akira still being confused at the brunette’s behavior, sits down one chair away from him, not wanting to disturb him. It’s a progress getting him to eat, at least. 

When Goro is eating, Akira steals glances in his direction from time to time, not having anything else to do in the meantime. He’s still perplexed by Goro’s aggressive responses from earlier.

_What does he mean he doesn’t need our help?_

Goro looks better than the day before, and most importantly, he’s finally awake. But it doesn’t mean he’s ready to walk out the second he’s done with the plate yet. He’s too weak to walk all the way to his apartment, wherever that may be.

Akira is brought back to reality by the sound of the fork hitting the plate, Goro done eating and looking away from Akira, still muttering quite thanks. Akira smiles softly, taking the plate and washing it in the sink. “I’m gonna make you some tea, I think you don’t need caffeine to keep you awake right now.”

“Actually,” Goro speaks up, clearing his throat “I would like to go back to my apartment, if it’s possible. I feel like I took enough of your time already.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t let you walk out yet.” Akira says with finality in his voice.

“Stop treating me like a child.” Goro growls back.

Akira, not to be intimidated, knowing full well the brunette is still too weak to leave Leblanc, replies “I’m not, and I know you know this. Stop trying to reject our help, you know you’re still too weak to walk out of here.” he walks up to Goro, standing next to him.

“I’m not weak!” the brunette shots back, standing up quickly and instantly getting light-headed, holding the back of the chair to keep himself from falling. Akira is inclined to stay back and watch the detective trying to prove him wrong, but he’s too worried Goro will hurt himself more if he does that. He grips the brunette by his arm, feeling him tensing under the touch again, but not rejecting the help this time. 

Goro sits down on the chair slowly, holding his head down, eyes closed and lips in a thin line. He takes few deep breaths, holds his hand up to his chest and massages it gently. Akira is tempted to reach out and lift his shirt up, seeing if the wound looks like it might still pose a problem, but it would be uncalled for and probably taken the wrong way.

Instead, he sits on the chair next to the brunette, taking Goro’s free hand in his own, making him look up in surprise. “Goro, talk to me. I want to help you. But I don’t know why you try to reject me, I thought we were past this already. I know it’s all my fault, and if you’d rather go to the clinic I’ll take you there. I just want to hear this from you.” 

Goro looks at him in bewilderment, repeating his words, “Your fault…?”

It’s Akira’s turn to look away, the hand still holding the brunette’s own tightening, “It’s my fault you got hurt. If I wasn’t so careless none of this would have happened. I’m sorry.” Akira finally letting the words that were clogging his brain spill out.

Goro just stares at Akira, the corners of his lips slowly turning upwards, letting his other hand fall from his chest to rest on their intertwined hands, still gripping tightly. 

“You’re a fool if you think I’m blaming you for any of this.” Akira dares to turn back and look Goro in the eyes. “It was my decision to jump in front of you. I could have easily pulled you back without endangering myself, but… during the emergency I wasn’t able to think clearly.” Akira doesn’t dwell on the fact that apparently it’s not how Goro wanted to finish that sentence. 

The air in the café gets stuffy, and Akira drops the subject, “Thank you.” And lifts both of Goro’s hands, placing a gentle kiss on top of them, putting them back on the brunette’s lap. He feels like he’s way past the blushing teenager phase, the incident in Mementos making him feel older by at least thirty years. When he looks up to look at Goro, Akira’s delighted to see that the colors in his face seems to be in working order.

Taking advantage of the silence, Akira asks, “So how about the tea?”

Goro, finally coming back to himself, turns around to Akira who is already walking towards the kitchen, “Thank you, but I meant it when I said I would like to go back home. I promise to lay back down as soon as I’m back.” he tries to bargain, Akira having none of it.

“If you want to go back, then I’m coming with you.” He knows it’s probably a stupid decision on his part, walking out right now and going God knows where, losing his way back to Leblanc at night and probably ending up not getting enough sleep again. But there is no way in hell he’s going to let Goro walk back home alone.

The brunette, surprisingly, doesn’t immediately reject the idea, weighing his options. “Alright.”

_That’s unexpected._

Maybe it won’t be so bad. With enough luck, maybe Goro will let him spend the night at his place. This thought turned out way creepier that Akira initially imagined. 

Without a second thought out of fear Goro will change his mind, Akira walks upstairs, taking the detective’s belongings with him, putting on his hoodie. Morgana looks at him, puzzled, Akira motioning for him to come back downstairs.

When they come down the stairs, Goro notices Morgana and stands up. Akira’s first instinct is to hold him up, but the brunette lifts his hand up, as if to say _I got this_ , and bows as far as he can, without losing his balance. “I’m very sorry, Morgana. I didn’t mean to be so hostile towards you.” He straightens up, still standing up and holding the back of the chair, “I’m afraid I’m not used to being in the position where I’m powerless to fend for myself, and acted out of mistrust.”

_So that’s what it was about._

Morgana seems to be as surprised as Akira at Goro’s confession, quickly walking up to him with friendlier expression than before. “Apology accepted. But please, do take care of yourself. If anything else happens to you, this guy will have a heart attack.” the cat looks back at Akira.

“You don’t know me.” Akira quickly jokes, trying to lighten up the air around them. 

Goro chuckles softly, a slight wince not escaping Akira’s notice. “Thank you. I think I will need to borrow Akira for an hour or so, he promised to take me back to my apartment.”

Morgana wears an uncertain expression, and Akira can’t blame him. It’s already way past his bedtime. “Alright, but I’ll be counting.”

Akira lets Goro walk by himself to the door, moving few steps behind him, when Morgana jumps on the counter and whispers “I know you don’t plan to come back till morning.”

Akira can’t help but grin. “You know me so well.”

Morgana sighs, but doesn’t stop him from walking out, the cat speaking up, “Be careful out there.” Both boys nod, and walk out of the café, Akira locking the door behind him. 

When they walk to the station, Akira takes Goro by the arm to steady him, the brunette finally accepting that it’s just how it’s going to be for the rest of the trip. After they round the corner, Goro speaks up, “I heard that, you know.”

Akira pretends to be surprised, “So you don’t want to have a fun sleepover with me, after all?” and makes a pouty face.

“You wish” Goro chuckles.

“I wish.” Akira admits. 

Both boys smile widely at each other and fall silent for the rest of their journey. There is nothing else to talk about, the words which are still left unsaid between them are certainly not meant to be let out in the middle of the subway station, waiting for a train.

The ride is nothing out of ordinary as well, Goro trying to keep his head up and not doze off, and Akira lost inside his head, still excited about the prospect of seeing Goro’s apartment. Even though there is no need for it, Akira doesn’t let go of the brunette’s arm.

When they walk out of the subway, Akira is greeted by the sight of pristine, modern complex of buildings, most of which were surrounded by high fences. Goro leads Akira to the one in the center, hidden from the view by the rest of the buildings, taking out his keys and walking through the gate. They step inside, taking the elevator to the last floor. Akira is delighted by the idea of having an apartment so high up, always dreaming of looking out the window overlooking the city, observing the nightlife and marveling at the lights shimmering in the dark.

They walk into the apartment at the end of the corridor, Akira prepared to be amazed. But even if the apartment is big enough to astonish someone with the architecture, it’s so sparsely furnished, there is nothing for Akira to lay his eyes on. The small cupboard in the hallway, for shoes or some random utensils, a kitchen cabinet, not too big, but not the smallest either, and a TV standing on a shelf nailed to the wall. The wardrobe of a considerable size stands next to the bed, which Akira notes with mischievousness, could easily fit two people in it.

“I’m sorry it’s not the most presentable place.” Goro smirks, throwing Akira’s own words at him, remembering when the brunette first walked into the attic.

“Don’t worry, I can definitely see the appeal.” Akira mirrors the tactic, the detective smiling knowingly.

“Do you really?” Goro asks, taking off his coat and putting it on the hanger. “I don’t have much to offer, beside making you a cup of tea.”

“Already forgot about your promise, huh?” Akira shots back, “You were supposed to lay down as soon as you get back, and I was supposed to watch over you the entire night.”

Goro chuckles, hiding a wince again, “I’m pretty sure I don’t remember agreeing to the second part.”

Akira frowns, tone turning serious, “If your chest hurts, maybe I’ll stop making jokes.”

Goro’s eyes widen for a second, realizing he’s been found out, but still covering it up. “Somehow I think if you stop making jokes, it will hurt me more than my chest.”

“So you admit it, then?” Akira prods.

“Akira, really. It’s nothing serious.”

“Of course it’s serious.” Akira takes a step in Goro’s direction. “Stop thinking of yourself like you’re untouchable. Let me take care of you if you’re still hurting.” he says with conviction. 

Goro backs up a little, uncertain. Instead of answering he heads for the kitchen, and starts preparing the tea. “Goro…”

“I appreciate your help, really. But don’t you think it’s hypocritical of you to expect me to be honest when you’re hiding things yourself?” Goro says, taking out the cups from the cabinet.

It’s Akira’s turn to be uncertain. “What do you mean?”

“There are things you neglected to tell me, about what happened in Mementos.” _Ah, so he has noticed._

“That’s not important, it changes nothing.” Goro looks unconvinced.

“So you can feel guilty about me protecting you, and I can’t express my gratitude for you saving my life?”

“Goro…” he shouldn’t lie to him anymore, but Akira has to admit that as much as he wants to be honest with Goro, his guilt prevents him from doing so. “It’s the least I could do.”

“No, it’s not. I didn’t notice at the time, but we were all at our limits, especially you after fighting the Reaper all on your own. And yet, as I was laying on the floor, it was you who saved me, even though it’s the last thing I can remember.” Goro stops, facing the cabinet and not looking at Akira.

“I- You… You risked your life for me. The last thing I want is to make you think like you owe me anything, when you could have died for my stupidity.” Akira’s voice cracks slightly at the end.

Goro parts his lips, considering Akira’s words. The kettle starts whistling, and Goro thankful for the distraction pours the water to the cups. Akira thinks they are hardly done with this conversation. 

They sit at the small table Akira didn’t notice before, hidden from view. The silence falls over them, and Akira starts sweating just from the tension that he’ already so familiar with. Or, who knows, maybe it’s just the hot tea.

When he can’t take any more silence, Akira asks, “How are you feeling?”

Before Goro has a chance to speak up, Akira cuts him off “I won’t take ’I’m fine’ as an answer.”

Goro closes his mouth, sighing, “I’m just tired, but it’s nothing a full night sleep can’t fix.”

“The last time I checked you couldn’t sleep for more than few days.”

Goro’s lips twitch, his voice dropping lower and eyes glimmering dangerously, “How do you know?”

Akira laughs humorlessly, “Oh, _please_. It was so obvious in the Metaverse anyone could see it.” he feels like standing up might make an impression he’s the one in control this time. 

“Oh, that’s charming.” Goro says mockingly, “Excuse me for repeating myself, but your hypocrisy is showing again. Have you looked in the mirror recently?”

Akira doesn’t need to, he knows he looks like shit. Two days of worrying are likely to leave a toll on him, but still he doesn’t answer.

“You should go back home and get some sleep.” it’s probably meant to sound condescending, but a tinge of worry slips into Goro’s tone. “I’m sorry if I made you worry.”

“Yeah, I noticed the pattern already. I wonder why it always has to be you who apologizes to me.” Akira looks away, “I never asked for you to try and keep me safe. Had I known before how it will end I would never let you join us.”

Goro seems hurt at the insinuation, “I told you already, it’s my decision if I want to protect you or not.”

“I won’t let you throw your life away for me.”

“Then you’re not doing a very good job, are you?” Akira freezes, the accusation making the guilt raise from the depths and overtake him again. Goro sighs, “Akira, I’m not blaming you for anything, you should know that. But it’s getting increasingly harder for me to take my eyes off of you, in fear of you doing something reckless. I noticed that you were exhausted, back in Mementos, and yet you still decided to try and take on the Reaper. Do you have a death wish I wasn’t aware of?”

“So you admit it’s my fault, then?” Akira replies, looking at the wall, acting like the majority of Goro’s speech is left unheard.

The brunette looks to the side, frustrated, “Can you stop making yourself a victim? I’m trying to help you. You constantly preach about honesty, and yet you try to hide things from me.” Goro stands up and walks up to Akira.

This is going nowhere. Akira is tempted to tell Goro he’s in no position to say anything about hiding something from him, but restrains himself. Revealing to the detective he knows his true intentions would be a disaster. 

“What do you want me to say?” Akira says, resignation evident in his tone. “That I was panicking when I noticed you got hurt? That I was ready to kill the Reaper who did this to you on my own? That I was crying, _praying_ , for anything to work so you won’t have to suffer anymore? That I refused for anybody else to hold you when I carried you back to Leblanc, even though I couldn’t feel my arms? That I couldn’t talk to anybody for almost an entire day, because I was blaming myself so much it hurt?

Akira stops talking, any more and the tears which started to well up in his eyes will fall. Goro takes a hesitant step toward him, sadness and regret painted on his features. “Akira…”

“Please, Goro… What do I have to do to make you stop risking so much for me?” a lone tear rolls down his cheek. Goro raises his hand to brush it away wordlessly, Akira’s eyes widening at the affectionate gesture. The brunette always made sure to keep close, but any contact, if it could be helped, was never an option. Akira catches his hand on the way down and holds it in his own, Goro’s eyes following after them.

“Akira… I’m incredibly grateful you seem to hold such sentiment for me. But I’m hardly someone who deserves such treatment, especially from you.”

“What do you mean?” Goro tries to free his hand, which only results in Akira gripping it tighter.

Goro bites his lips, “There are… things that I can’t tell you about.” Akira frowns. There is no way Goro would tell him the truth, is there? But it’s further that he imagined the detective would go, revealing as much.

“Is it work?”

Goro looks away, uncertain, “You could say that.” he tries to free himself again, with as much success as before, “I’m afraid if you knew what I’m really like, you would be more than happy to forget about my existence.“ he breaks free from Akira’s grip, walking towards the bedroom, more out of the need to escape than with intention to lay down.

But Akira is having none of it. With the brunette still turned away from him, Akira reaches out and wraps his hands around him, pulling him closer. He feels Goro tensing like never before, stopping in his tracks, but not pulling away. Akira rests his head on the crook of Goro’s neck, nuzzling into his hair. He’s done with the brunette trying to push him away, needing to feel him close.

“Stop trying to run from me.” At this point, it doesn’t matter what he decides to say, the detective is still too dazed to move. “There is nothing you can do to make me hate you.” Akira falls silent, listening to the brunette’s unsteady breathing and comforting sound of his heart, beating erratically in his chest. 

“You have no idea what you’re talking about…” Goro whispers.

“Maybe so. But it doesn’t matter at the moment.” Akira whispers close to his ear. 

“You’ll get hurt because of me.” Goro persists.

“Do you want to hurt me?”

“No.” Goro replies without missing a beat.

Akira smirks, nuzzling further into the brunette’s neck, “Then we have nothing to worry about.” Goro shivers slightly at the feeling of Akira’s breath on his skin.

His muscles slowly uncoil, the detective visibly relaxing and putting his hands on top of Akira’s, resting his head against the ravenette’s. They stay like this, holding each other tightly for what seems like hours, Akira wishing they could stay like this forever. 

The silence is broken when Goro quietly asks, “Do you… really mean it?” It’s anyone’s guess what the brunette references, but Akira never said anything he never truly meant when it comes to him, so he replies with confidence, “Every word.”

He’s disappointed to find Goro letting go of his hands, freeing himself and moving away from Akira. Not for long, seeing how the brunette turns around hastily, resting his hands on Akira’s face, and closing the distance between them.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of all your dreams coming true in just one short moment. So Akira doesn’t try. Instead, he focuses on the feeling of Goro’s lips moving against his, reciprocating and moving to rest his hand on the back of Goro’s head, bringing him closer. He feels the brunette doing the same, one hand moving to tangle itself into the black curls, the other resting on his collarbone. 

Akira feels like his heart is going to burst. The fireworks are exploding in his head and he feels himself smile into the kiss turning greedier by the second. At some point they pull away, in need of air, but Akira wastes no time in going back in, claiming Goro’s lips again, the brunette moaning softly, Akira feeling electricity going down his spine at the sound of it. 

He’s sure the time has stopped, nothing else existing but here and now. And then, Akira feels how their knees buckle and they fall on the bed, the ravenette’s insistence pushing Goro backwards and tripping on the edge of the bed. He can’t complain, especially now when he can deepen the kiss, trapping Goro beneath him. 

They get tired at some point, Akira laying down next to Goro, their faces still touching, noses brushing and foreheads pressed together. Akira doesn’t know when he starts laughing, but soon enough Goro laughs along, both boys tenderly holding hands, Goro caressing Akira’s face, and Akira running his fingers through the brunette’s hair. 

Akira chuckles at how many things that needed to be let out between them didn’t need words. But now, with everything said and done, Akira feels tired. The feeling of peace he was looking for for so long, finally washes over him. 

“Stay.” he hears Goro say softly, still smiling and looking at him sweetly. Akira nods, kissing him again, gently this time, no urgency in the way his lips move against Goro’s. 

The boys are still holding each other tightly when sleep overtakes them. And for the first time in weeks no nightmares haunt them, the warmth of their bodies chasing away the monsters in their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> More useless notes:  
> \- The first scene happens to be an afterthought which is kind of unnecessary cause this chapter is already so freaking long  
> \- I'm no doctor so please overlook like an entire chapter  
> \- Too much angst, I know  
> \- Don't look into the dream too much, I just wrote what seemed even a little fitting  
> \- Akira is left starving for the most of the chapter.
> 
> But, hey. At least the ending is cute (I think).
> 
> Holy shit, the last chapter is gonna be awful, I'm scared. It's gonna end up 15k+ at this rate.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry

The next day Akira came back home at noon, in the middle of the school period. If not for the thief business (or perhaps because of it), he would probably get grounded as soon as he entered the café. As it is, he only gets a disapproving stare from Sojiro who already got a phone call from school, sending their wishes for Akira’s fast recovery from the cold he apparently still has. 

In the meantime, Akira was busy getting his own excuse, the offer of helping in *cough* _investigation_ *cough* from Goro’s school finally coming in handy. He waves it in Sojiro’s face, hoping it will appease him somehow. Sojiro catches it and reads it silently, frowning more with every word. “Help in the investigation? Is that how the youth calls it these days?”

Before Akira has a chance to protest, he hears a loud noise coming from a booth behind him, Futaba doubling over and shaking with laughter, Morgana sitting next to her with a smug expression. “Don’t worry Sojiro, they were definitely investigating something, alright.” 

Akira blushes furiously and stutters, “H-how would you know?”

“I have your phone bugged, you know.”

“You told me you were playing Candy Crush!” Akira screams, realizing the one time he let Futaba near his phone was the biggest mistake of his life.

Futaba scrambles to her feet quickly, “Oh my, would you look at the time! Gotta go, have stuff to do n’ all. Seeya!” and she runs out of Leblanc, leaving Morgana behind, who is still sitting at the booth with a knowing look.

Before Akira has a chance to run upstairs, he’s stopped by Sojiro, “Hey.” he scratches the back of his head. “I understand the situation you were in, but any more absences and you might get in real trouble, understood?” Akira nods, “And, uh… good luck with the detective kid.”

Akira feels warm all over his face, hearing the quite snicker from behind and quickly replying, “Um… uh… t-thank you…?” and runs upstairs without missing a beat. 

As soon as he’s in the attic Morgana shows up, still not changing his expression, looking at Akira expectedly. “Not you too, please.” Akira begs, seeing how the cat would be pretty much wiggling his eyebrows right now, if he had any. “You’re… not mad?”

“You’re happy, aren’t you?” comes Morgana’s reply. Akira stops to think. He really is happy, the thought filling him with relief and making him smile gently, Morgana just chuckling quietly. “I don’t know why I’d have a problem with that.”

“But… you do have a problem with Goro, don’t you?” 

Morgana sighs, “Well, for the obvious reasons I do have a problem. But I’ve seen how he makes you feel, and I’ve seen how he is around you. We know what he’s planning, and yet he risked all of this for you. And if Futaba wasn’t lying about bugging your phone, “Akira looks away, blushing, “which I don’t think she was, then I have difficulties believing he means you any harm.”

“So, does that mean…?”

“At least for these few days, you have my blessing.” It’s not like Akira really needs that, but it makes him happy nonetheless, knowing how opposed Morgana was to Goro.

The cat jumps on the windowsill, pushing the window open, “Well, now that we got this over with, I’m going out for a bit. You better get some studying done, somehow I doubt you were up all night studying math.”

“Well, not math, but biology on the other hand…”

Morgana immediately regrets adding anything, jumping through the window onto the roof, “Ewww…! I didn’t need to know that!”

Akira laughs, “Oh, come on, we were just kissing.”

“Thank God it was _just_ kissing, otherwise I would have to scratch your eyes out if you’d start telling me about anything else.” 

“Maybe one day I will.” Akira teases.

“If you do, I hope I will be long gone so I’ll be spared.” and with that he disappears around the corner, Akira left alone with his thoughts. 

And there is a lot of them to sort through. But Akira is in no state to think too deeply about anything, not caring about the Phantom Thieves, about upcoming battle in Sae’s palace, about the arrest. Two days of missed classes seem to be a drop of a cold water in the hot ocean he currently finds himself in. Despite the troubles from the day before, it might have ended up being the best day of Akira’s life.

What started off as a stupid and, in all seriousness, hopeless crush on Goro, ended up as probably still stupid, but at least achievable dream. Akira would be lying if he said he wasn’t expecting something like this to happen last night, but he was afraid of making it seem like he was taking advantage of Goro’s weakened state. 

There are still some lingering doubts. Everything seemed fine when they woke up in the morning, laying in bed a little too long, still enjoying each other’s company and parting ways reluctantly. But Akira is still afraid he came off as too persistent, too forceful. There is still time for Goro to change his mind about their relationship, even if he was the one to initiate the first kiss.

And it’s not like they established anything between them yet. Not like they had the time, really. There was no serious talk about what they should do if people were to ask about them, no questions about dates or no love confessions, much to Akira’s dismay. Their actions should speak for themselves, but still, Akira feels like he should have done something more. 

An early breakfast, so Goro could wake up to the smell of food, some nice complements instead of sloppy make-outs on the bed, maybe an actual talk, because as much as he enjoyed their activities, they haven’t resolved anything. Before they walked out of the apartment, he should have taken Goro’s face in his hands, kiss him tenderly one more time and tell him he loves him. 

Akira’s hands itch to grab his phone and call him, send a message even. But it’s not something to be said over the phone, not the first time anyway. They will have plenty more occasions to be alone, even after the casino, after the arrest, when Akira can finally tell Goro he’s alive, that everything worked out fine. He thinks of the time when the thieves could finally focus on helping Goro, truly making him one of them, setting him free of whatever struggles he’s dealing with.

Akira is laying on his bed, smiling to himself, thinking about the life he can have with Goro by his side. He only comes back to reality when he hears a sound of grunting, Sojiro standing near the stairs, looking considerably displeased by Akira’s dreamy expression. “Ehh, Christ… If you plan on being useless for the rest of the day, you could come down and help me.” and he leaves the attic without another word.

Akira figures he caused Sojiro enough trouble to try and redeem himself a little, so he gets up and walks downstairs, quickly losing himself in the routine.

_I’ll tell him next time. For sure._

~~~~~

There is no time for Akira to say anything else besides barking orders at his team, trying to keep them safe and sound in the battle against Sae’s shadow. And there wasn’t any even before that, this whole day keeping Akira on guard, always watchful and careful. He might have talked big game, but the truth of the matter is that he’s scared. 

Even Goro’s presence doesn’t sooth him the way he thought it would. It puts him on edge. And Akira feels guilty, as it seems to be the usual with Goro, knowing that the brunette still tries to go out of his way for him, still sends him knowing looks. There is something else in there too, something Akira doesn’t know how to feel about. The doubt he can sense between them both is not of his own doing, but Goro’s.

It shouldn’t bother him as much as it does, but it makes his attacks falter whenever Goro double takes himself, flinching after protecting Akira as if it was just his body moving against his will. He only smiles awkwardly after this, hoping Akira doesn’t take notice of how his face holds less emotions that it usually does.

He shouldn’t be surprised, really. Today, or maybe tomorrow, Goro will be forced to hold a gun to Akira’s head and kill him. Akira wishes so hard to be able to tell the brunette about their plan, how he wants to help him, how he can go along with this with no guilty conscience. But it won’t change anything. Whoever ordered Goro to do the dirty work will know about their trick immediately. 

And Akira’s scared, not just for his own well-being, secured if not hundred percent guaranteed, but Goro’s as well. He knows nothing about the detective’s boss, but whoever it is, doesn’t seem like someone who would just accept things as they are. Goro might be in more danger that Akira, and once again, he can’t do a damn thing about it. 

In the midst of battle Akira finds a small reassurance, that maybe the small signs of hesitation are not caused by the events from few days before. So far, both boys tried not to be overly friendly with each other, even though during the team meetings Futaba sent Akira knowing glances, Morgana tried to keep him in check, and the raven noticed Ryuji passing Ann a small sum of money under the table.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of time for both of them to be alone. After they agreed to sent a calling card, Goro took off first, informing everyone of being extremely busy, as it’s in his habit. They texted a bit, but it didn’t quench Akira’s thirst for some quality time with the brunette. The more time he thought about it, the more fantasies about confessing to him he could think of. He really wanted to do it before sending a calling card, some irrational fear inside his brain constantly telling him he’ll be late. He tries to subdue it even now, instead of focusing on a fight and in turn losing his concentration.

But it seems all of their worries regarding Sae were redundant, her shadow posing much less trouble that they originally anticipated. Somewhere, in the back of Akira’s back, he thinks it’s thanks to the Reapers they managed to take down in Mementos. Still, he would trade the struggle with taking down Sae’s shadow with the nightmares, where Goro’s bloodied and beaten form seems to have taken up a permanent residence. 

And now, after finally taking Sae’s treasure, it’s time for the thieves to put the plan in motion. The presence of the police is much expected, everyone was made aware of the fact that their acting skills need to be top notch to convince Goro they know nothing of what’s happening outside.

But Akira is not acting. The action of agreeing to make a distraction means to much to him, even if they all agreed on it beforehand. He takes the briefcase, the makeshift treasure, serving only to trick Goro into thinking they stole it successfully. He instructs the team to go, steeling his nerves for the show he is about to make, only to feel the briefcase to be forced out of his hand.

“Go, everyone.” Goro breaks out of the group, stands behind them, ready to take off any second. He stops, seeing how the team just looks at him in puzzlement, the obvious confusion breaking through the fake acting the team managed to hold. “What are you waiting for, do you rather have your leader risk getting caught for all of you to safely walk out of here?” he asks accusingly, voice sharp and provocative. 

“Well… no, but-“ Makoto manages to utter.

“Then go! If they can be reasoned with, I’m sure I can convince them to retreat.” he exclaims, the team still shuffling their feet. Normally, the group would be more than happy for anyone else, Goro preferably, to pull a stunt like this. Even Akira can’t stop himself from letting out a small sigh of relief, quickly correcting himself, wanting to protest but getting cut off.

“Let’s go guys.” Morgana orders, his expression unreadable, “Crow’s got this. We’ll be observing from the side and help however we can.” he glances at Akira, the ravenette nodding with eyes filled with gratitude. The offer of assistance hangs in the air as an unspoken acknowledgement of Goro’s final decision, the rest of the Phantom Thieves nodding along. 

“Thank you, but it will be unnecessary. I advice you all to leave the palace as soon as you can, I’ll try and catch up to the best of my abilities.” Goro says, already turning away from them.

“Come on everyone, let’s go and look for an opening.” Futaba says hurriedly.

There is no way Akira will just look from the side and let things happen before him, with not even a small chance of justification of Goro’s actions. “Wait!” he grabs the brunette’s arm, holding him in place. “I’ll join you all in a minute. I need to talk with Crow first.”

“Man, are you crazy? This place will start collapsing any minute now.” Ryuji yells, the rest throwing Akira concerned gazes. 

“Skulls’ right, we need to leave now, Joker.” Makoto advises, voice assertive, leaving no space for arguments.

“Please. Just a minute.” he looks at his team, eyes pleading. He’s not stupid enough to try and reason with Goro to let him do it instead, the detective probably knowing exactly what will happen if Akira gets caught. The ravenette is painfully aware of the fact that Goro is protecting him again, and Akira hates himself for it.

The team disappears around the corner and the boys are left alone. “What the hell are you doing?” Akira asks, his voice low and pained.

“I should be asking you the same. Do you have any idea what would happen if they catch you?” Goro growls at him, voice condescending. 

Akira knows, and it’s for the same reason he demands an answer. “Will you be okay? Will they listen to you? They might recognize you if you try talking to them. Maybe you should-“ in the midst of his worried rant, Akira didn’t even register when Goro pulled his mask up, walking up to Akira and shutting him up with a kiss, one hand resting on his cheek, the other still holding the fake treasure.

He shouldn’t be so easily manipulated, letting Goro’s lips steal all of his reasoning. But even these short few seconds are enough to let his body relax and lean into the kiss, Goro pulling away way too quickly. With their faces close enough to feel the brunette’s breath on his lips, he says “Run, Akira. Go through the main entrance. There should be an opening easy enough for the rest of you to spot.” 

“Goro…?” the detective takes a step back, pulling his mask back down. There is no other options for Akira but let Goro go. He knows better to hope for the brunette to let him proceed with the plan. It shouldn’t be surprising, really. With how much dedication Goro already shown when it comes to protecting Akira, it should be obvious killing him is the last thing the detective has on his mind. 

Akira can only hope that failure to do so will not result in Goro being condemned to the same fate Akira is trying to escape from.

“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Goro laughs humorlessly, “You said the palaces start collapsing as soon as the treasure is stolen. For such thing to happen… it’s unusually quiet, don’t you think, _Joker_?” This is no time and place for Akira to wonder about the meaning of Goro’s words, especially when he sees the brunette throwing the briefcase back at him, Akira catching it mid-air. 

It’s another one of their conversations where words are not needed. This time, however, none of the hidden meanings bring Akira any comfort. Goro’s posture, his eyes, the expressions he’s making, the entirety of his being screams at Akira that their parting brings the sense of finality. He grips the briefcase tighter than needed, searching for words that still need to be said. _Please, don’t go. Let me do it. You might get killed. Let me be the one to protect you this time. I love you._

_Tell him, you moron!_

Before Akira has a chance to speak, Goro beats him to it, “Be safe, Akira. I hope we can meet again, someday.” Akira freezes, the words not registering fully, taking a step towards Goro. The brunette turns away with the last look at the thief. There are so many emotions flickering through these maroon eyes like never before. _I hope I made it clear. You’re safe. We might never see each other again. I’ll always choose your life over mine._

Akira watches Goro march off, following him with his eyes until he can see him no more, even with the blur that suddenly appeared in front of his vision. Despite the flood of emotions rushing through him, he manages to move and run towards where the rest of the group disappeared, wiping his eyes before facing them.

He finds them near the main entrance, Futaba discovering the small opening with the help of which they can escape undetected, half of the group already on the other side. They can’t attract any attention to themselves, agreeing to come back to the real world one by one, meeting somewhere nearby where they’re all back together.

Akira goes last, after assuring Futaba he’s not going to run back to get Goro. Even thought the brunette stated he will try and catch up to them, Akira has little to no doubt it was just a figure of speech. It doesn’t stop him from already planning to scan the area after going back, just in case he finds the brunette in any trouble.

Akira goes back to the real world. It’s dark at first, the sun had already set, leaving behind only a chill of the November evening. He looks around, finding himself wedged between the two building. He notices no people around, moving swiftly to the meeting spot the thieves agreed on, seeing everyone already being there before him. Well, not everyone.

Only after the initial assurances and uncertain smiles does the silence wash over them. It’s not like they’re unhappy with the current turn of events, but there was something stable in the way everyone assumed the plan was going to go as they already revised for the last week. Amidst the hectic life Akira found himself in, it was the one consistent thing which was supposed to happen no matter what.

And despite everything, Akira’s happy. How could he not be? The constant worry for his life, the concern over hiding and keeping quiet for the next few weeks, all of it gone. Akira just wishes it didn’t hurt this much, didn’t happen in exchange for Goro’s well-being.

“Is Akechi-kun gonna be back?” the silence is broken by Ann’s uncertain voice. Akira glances over everyone’s faces, each thief showing various degree of doubt in their expressions. He can’t blame them, even without the last words the brunette said to him, Akira has no doubts Goro has no plan of returning to their group.

“I could sense him being on the other side of the palace when I returned.” Futaba replies. “I don’t think he was in any danger though, he was the one to set us up, after all.”

“What did he say to you, Joker?” Makoto inquires.

Akira can only stare at his feet. There were no words meant for the other thieves to hear. Not like they can’t gather anything on their own, judging by the shy smiles showing on everyone’s faces, looking at Akira’s slightly flushed cheeks. They are all aware that the only reason Goro decided to call off the police was because of his feelings for Akira.

“It’s not important.” Morgana interjects, seeing Akira’s absent expression, “What’s important is that we’re all safe. I don’t think Akechi is coming back, and even if he’s not, there is no reason to worry about him.” the cat shots a determined expression at Akira. Once they’re back in Leblanc, the raven must thank Morgana for being the great wingman. 

“I agree. I must admit, the unexpected turn of events took quite the toll on me.”Yusuke comments.

“Man, I never would have thought Akechi has it in him to go against orders like this.” Ryuji adds, kicking the ground, “I hate to admit it, but… maybe he’s not so bad, after all.” Akira perks up at the remark.

“I must agree.” Haru speaks up. “It’s admirable how far he’s willing to go for Akira-kun. There is no doubt that if Akechi-kun’s superior has enough power to order an assassination, he is also capable of being a threat to Akechi-kun himself.” the thoughts roaming around Akira’s head are finally let out for the group to hear, and not even by Akira himself.

The ravenette finds it bittersweet, that only after Goro is possibly no longer a member of the Phantom Thieves does the group agree on accepting him. He can’t wait to meet up with Goro again to tell him about it. 

_‘Be safe, Akira. I hope we can meet again, someday.’_

He didn’t truly mean it, did he? It’s not like Akira intends to stay quiet and not reach out to him. He knows that as soon as he’s back in Leblanc, he’ll flood Goro’s phone with messages, hoping he would reply. And Akira can’t believe that Goro is in any real danger, there is no way he can be that easily replaced. Another promise is added to Akira’s long list of assurances he told Goro which he already managed to break. Trying his best to keep him safe is the one he doesn’t intend to break this time.

Being around his friends, Akira’s mind starts shifting to more positive thoughts, as it always seems to be the case. But back then, looking into Goro’s eyes, feeling the dread slowly creeping up on him, the words he still wanted to say and thinking he’ll never get the chance to do it, it was nearly suffocating. The group disperses for the day, and Akira wonders how wrong it is that whenever he’s with Goro, he can only feel the weight of his failures wrapped in sweet lies.

~~~~~

One day and one sleepless night later, there is no sign from Goro.

Two days and two sleepless nights later, there is no sign from Goro. Akira asks Futaba if she recorded any new calls from his phone. The bug haven’t registered anything for the last two days. 

Three days and three sleepless nights later, there is no sign from Goro. Futaba confirms his signal stopped moving, and lies prone somewhere close to the Diet Building. Akira finds it in the trash, broken to pieces.

Four days and four sleepless nights later, Akira finally recognizes the voice from the TV. The thieves need no further debates to set their minds on a new target.

Five days and five sleepless nights later, the group enter Masayoshi Shido’s palace, the cruiser of pride, and Akira has enough of the silence.

When the thieves leave the ship, Akira heads for Goro’s apartment, Morgana not leaving his side. The ravenette figures the cat probably had the worst week of his life, but still gives Akira the moral support whenever he needs it. He can’t imagine Morgana actually saying it, but Akira could see the tinge of worry every time the question of Goro’s whereabouts was brought up. 

When they arrive, it’s only now that Akira realizes he’s not going to get into Goro’s building without the key anyway. His only hope is the intercom next to Goro’s apartment number, even though he suspects the brunette isn’t of the sort to expect a lot of visitors and welcome them with open arms. His suspicions are confirmed when after few rings it doesn’t seem like anybody’s home. Either that, or Goro is in no mood for guests. If it’s the latter, Akira wishes the brunette could at least show up in the window, so the ravenette’s mind can stop assuming the worst.

Akira’s been waiting for so long already, few more hours make no difference. So he props himself up on the nearest bench facing the entrance to Goro’s building, not wanting to miss seeing the brunette when he gets back home. Or leaves, on the off chance he decided to avoid Akira for unknown reasons.

Three hours passed and Akira busies himself with silly games on his phone and texting on the group chat, trying to occupy his mind somehow. It’s not only Morgana who helped him get through these few days, the whole team trying their best to cheer Akira up by any means available. They show up in Leblanc more often, take him out to have fun, making sure he’s not going to lose himself in his own head. Akira has no heart to tell them that whenever he’s with them, the absence of Goro seems even more evident.

Another fifteen minutes pass, and Akira raises his head to the sound of the voice he missed so much. “What are you doing here?” Akira doesn’t even notice the animosity dripping from the words, feeling the immense relief at the sight of the detective, getting up to run towards him.

Before he has a chance to get closer, Goro takes a step back, face blank and posture hunched slightly. Upon closer inspection, Akira notices how the brunette’s face looks pale even in the dim light of the streetlamps, his hair unusually disheveled, the slight limp in his left leg when he took a step back. Goro speaks up before Akira manages to ask what’s wrong, “I asked you a question.” His voice cold like he’s speaking to a stranger. That’s not right, even strangers are granted at least his fake smile. _This_ , is something Akira never had to deal with.

“I was worried.” Akira says matter-of-factly, slowly, feeling that if he speaks any faster he’ll scare him off. 

Goro scoffs, wincing slightly in a way that reminds Akira too much of the night in his apartment. “I should have anticipated that.” he starts moving towards the gate, obviously struggling with hiding the limp, face scrunching up in a determined expression, not looking at Akira. The ravenette’s heart starts breaking slowly from the realization that Goro is hiding things from him again.

“Where were you? Why weren’t you answering me? What’s wrong?” so many more questions Akira wants to ask, and yet he knows even these will be left unanswered. Still, he has to try. He’s glad Morgana keeps quiet, hidden in the bag and not revealing his presence.

“It doesn’t matter.” he takes out the keys and starts unlocking the gate. “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, so if that’s all you wanted to confirm, I suggest you go back home.”

The tone in which Goro says it lights a fire in Akira’s heart he doesn’t even know he has. Days without any contact or even a sign Goro’s alive, and the only thing he has the audacity to say is _this_? 

“I was waiting for days for any sign that you’re okay. We had no way of knowing what happened to you after the palace, and now that’s all you’re going to say to me?” Goro tries to escape by walking into the building, but Akira catches him by the arm to turn him away. He meant to say more, but all the words are quickly forgotten when Goro hisses and frees himself, holding the arm close to his chest.

“ _Don’t touch me!_ ” he growls at Akira, eyes burning with hate. Akira backs away, but not quick enough to ignore the dark bruises barely showing from behind the brunette’s collar. Akira feels the information being processed in his brain. _Recent. Not from the palace. Someone beat him. Someone hurt him._

The rage already started to show on Akira’s face, his eyes squinted and fists balled. “ _Who_?” his voice is low and dangerous. Goro already looked away, as if the anger from before wasn’t meant to be directed at Akira. 

“I don’t know what you’re-“

“ _Who did this to you?_ ” Akira growls, clenching his teeth, ready to take off and take revenge on whoever Goro will blame for his wounds.

The brunette’s eyes still won’t meet Akira’s, his hand still tightly pressed to his chest. Until his lips turn into a cold smirk and he starts trembling, and Akira momentarily forgets all about his vendetta. “It’s all your fault.” 

Before Akira even gets a chance to question the meaning behind his words, Goro carries on, “Why do you care so much? Do you want to use me like everyone else? Is that why you’re always so goddamn persistent?” the small waver in his voice breaks Akira’s heart.

“What are you talking about?” Is it really his fault, somehow? Was he really too forceful, after all? That can’t be it, Akira never had any ill intentions towards Goro. If anyone had a right to be hesitant about their relationship, it should be Akira. If he thinks the thief wants to use him, then why was he acting they way he did? Was it just a test to see if Akira wants to only take and not give anything back? Were all the assurances Goro ever told him about not blaming him a lie?

It must have been too much for him. There is only so much one person can take while protecting the other. If Akira knew beforehand that Goro will end up hating him because of it, he would take every hit coming his way, turning the situation around. 

But it can’t be right. Akira can’t believe it’s his fault, even with his tendency to get reckless in the most inadequate moments. He thinks back to the night in Goro’s apartment, how happy they both were, like no matter what happens next, nothing is going to keep them apart. Akira can’t believe Goro never meant any of it. Something else must have happened, something big enough to push the detective so far to act in such a way towards Akira.

“Stay away from me, Kurusu.” The use of his last name stings more than Akira could have possibly imagined. “Stop trying to interfere. You don’t need to pretend anymore.” There is a glint in Goro’s eyes that Akira grew familiar with for the last few weeks. The longing he saw so many times in the Metaverse, the determination mixing with something undefined. 

“Goro… What did I do wrong?” Akira asks in a quiet voice, so different from the one laced with rage from a minute ago. 

Goro turns around from Akira and heads for the door, “You wasted my time.” his voice is so cold, even the evening wind seems warm in comparison. He closes the door behind him, and leaves Akira outside. 

Only when Akira is left alone, Morgana pokes his head out of the bag. “What’s with him?” the cat says, frustrated. His expression changes when he glances at Akira, his face blank and heartbroken. “Hey… I’m sure he didn’t mean what he said.” 

Akira scoffs, turning around slowly and leaving the district. “No matter what I do, I’m not good enough for him.” Akira says bitterly, “He’s right. I’ve been nothing but an inconvenience to him.” The thief stops, closing his eyes and sighing.

“That’s not true! You always blame yourself for his mistakes, you need to listen to yourself. Don’t let him pin everything on you!” Morgana tries to reason with him. “Look, I don’t know what happened either, but it didn’t sound like him. I can’t believe he was faking everything whenever he was with you. Someone must be trying to manipulate him and turn him against you. I bet he’s just trying to keep you away from trouble.”

“Then it’s more reason for me to stay away! He's hurt, Morgana…” Akira recalls with a sad frown, “Someone hurt him, and if you’re right, then it’s really my fault.”

The cat falls silent, hopelessly trying to come up with any words of encouragement. Akira failed again. Failed to keep Goro safe, failed to tell him about his feelings, failed to be a friend the brunette needed. All his other confidants have so much faith in him, always listen, face their fears and come out victorious. Akira wonders why it’s always _him_ who needs to face his fears when he’s with Goro. Why the failures are always more prominent, always on the front of his mind, ready to remind Akira he’s not making any difference.

Goro once said that fate brought them together. If so, then why is he pushing him away? No matter what Akira does, Goro can never open up to him the way everyone else does. He never expected him to, but there are only so many ways Akira can try and keep the detective close. He tried everything. He gave Goro a place to belong, a friend he can always confide in, his time whenever he needed him that the brunette considers wasted, the love he never properly expressed that Akira can’t believe was only one-sided.

So why is _he_ the one blaming himself for everything?

Akira walks back to the subway station. He’ll give Goro time, if that’s what the brunette needs. Few days to cool off, and then he’ll try again. If Goro thinks he can get rid of him that easily, he’s wrong. This time he won’t fail, and once it’s all over he will never let him go.

~~~~~ 

So many months passed since Akira became a Phantom Thief, and it’s only now he feels like it’s what he’s been waiting for all this time. All the people he helped, every heart they changed he is grateful for. But this time, it’s personal. Akira can finally have his revenge, so he can feel his probation he’s been forced to undertake isn’t for nothing. 

They infiltrate the palace in record time, not even a week passing when they get to the last letter of recommendation keeping them from reaching the treasure. And even though Akira feels the urgency in the way the whole team dedicate themselves to giving their best, Akira can’t bring himself to do the same. 

Because try as he might, he can’t get rid of subconsciously expecting Goro to stand by him, covering his blind spots. It gets him in trouble more often than not, and the frequent breaks for healing Akira’s minor injuries have become a habit. And Akira can’t help but think of what Goro said to him the last time they saw each other. 

It was, and still is, selfish of Akira to assume the detective will be there every time Akira makes a mistake. It makes the thief sick to think how the brunette was willing to throw anything away to protect him. He can’t blame Goro for thinking he was only using him for his own advantage. But the time he spent away from Goro made another emotion resurface.

He became apathetic, he no longer cares about the enthusiasm everyone shows during their exploration, no longer cares if they push themselves too hard, ignores their comments and helpful advice. He’s surrounded by his closest friends, and yet he feels alone. 

Goro broke him. If all the effort he put into making the brunette welcome in their group, all the time he dedicated to helping him, if all of this never meant anything, then why should he try anymore? His friends will be better off alone, without his useless efforts of trying to be their support. The thieves are near the end of the infiltration, and Akira thinks how cruel was of Goro to one day give him everything he ever wanted, only to take it all away the next.

Despite the distinct lack of coordination and general sense of chaos during the battle, the thieves manage to defeat the last obstacle preventing them from finishing their exploration. Akira can see the exhaustion in his friend’s eyes, but makes no move to acknowledge it. There is no need, in few more minutes they will leave this place and rest.

It’s when they’re on the way out of the engine room when Akira senses the shift in the air, the presence watching them making itself known. The white blur jumps down from the pipes, and Akira never felt so many conflicting emotions at once.

Goro takes few slow steps in the thieves’ direction, holding his face straight, revealing no emotions behind it. “Long time no see.”

“You…!” Ryuji exclaims.

“Why’s _he_ here?” Futaba asks.

Goro ignores the surprised expressions of the rest of the thieves, only focusing his eyes on Akira. “I told you not to interfere, but you just have to stick your nose in other people’s affairs.”

“What are you talking about?” nothing good ever came out of trying to coax any answers from him, but Akira has to try.

Goro scoffs at him, voice ironic and exaggerated “Hmph… You never change, _Joker_. You always need someone to guide you every step of the way. And yet, no one ever holds it against you. You’re the perfect friend, a perfect student, always knowing how to bend everyone to your will.” 

Akira is speechless, all this time he spend on directing his anger at shadows they met along the way, trying to force himself out of thinking about the blame Goro wants to pin on him, for all of this to be gone in a second once Goro showed up. Is it really how he sees him? As the manipulator, with the only goal to use everyone for his advantage? 

He knows he’s not like that, but the fact that the one person he wants to give everything to, the one person most dear to him, thinks he’s vile and selfish and cares for no one else but himself breaks something in Akira. He can only lower his head in shame, but he quickly hears another voice raising in his defense. 

“Hey, leave him alone!” Morgana shouts. “What’s wrong with you? We know you don’t really mean it! Is Shido the one making you say all these things?” The group perks up at the revelation.

“Akechi-kun, why are you cooperating with someone like Shido?” Makoto tries to reason with him.

Goro shakes his head in disbelief, “Cooperating? What are you talking about? I don’t care for him, or this country. All this, is to make Masayoshi Shido, my father… acknowledge me, and exact revenge on him.” 

“Shido is your father…?” Yusuke asks, the surprise in his voice reflecting the emotions of the whole group.

Akira thinks back to the conversation he once had with Goro when they were in Leblanc. He was telling the brunette about the time he got arrested, the politician who sued him, and Goro’s reaction finally makes sense. To think that all the time he thought of the possibility of the same person screwing them over was the true answer.

To think that if Akira pushed a little bit more, maybe both of them wouldn’t end up on the opposite sides. 

Goro looks up at Akira, “I told you before, how my mother was in a relationship with some good-for-nothing man? So I’m his bastard child. My very existence is a sin.”

_Why can’t I say anything?_

“My mother’s life took a turn for worse, and she died after having me. Even for her, I was nothing but a curse.”

There is a million and one questions running through Akira’s head, and yet he can’t open his mouth to protest. If there was any self-worth Goro managed to build while being with Akira, he can feel it crumbling to nothing but dust in front of him.

“But that’s when it happened.” Goro chuckled, the voice making their blood run cold in their veins. “Someone, be it god or demon gave me a chance!”

“You son of a…!” Ryuji takes a step forward.

“Who cares? I just removed evil from the eat or be eaten world, how is it any different from what the Phantom Thieves are doing?”

“We’re not murderers!” Ann tries to protest.

“So what!” Goro screams, “Masayoshi Shido is finally within my grasp! In just few weeks my plan would come to fruition! But no… you just had to interfere.” he glares at Akira. “It’s fine, thought. I can still take it back. I just need to kill you all!” he finishes with a smirk. 

Akira can’t believe what he’s hearing. Whatever happened between these few days they haven’t seen each other, couldn’t have warped Goro’s mind enough to make him hate them with such passion. What happened with their alliance? What happened with Goro letting Akira avoid detention, with him trying everything in his power to keep Akira from harm?

“Think you can really do it?” Akira finally finds his voice.

To his surprise, Goro seems to consider the question, frowning and showing the smallest hint of hesitation that’s enough of an answer for Akira. 

“Yeah, you don’t want to kill Joker.” Morgana adds. “There is no way that after going through the trouble of caring so much about him, you would just forget about all of this. Follow your true feelings!”

Goro lets out the darkest laugh Akira ever heard. “Oh, believe me, I don’t intend to kill him. I don’t need to. Once I’m done with the rest of you, he will be useless by himself. He’s a nobody without his precious friends.” 

The thought makes Akira go back in time to every time they accomplished something as the Phantom Thieves. He’d know nothing of the Metaverse if not for Morgana, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the shadows alone if not for the rest of the team backing him up. There would be nothing to heal them with if not for Takemi, no chance to run from the ambush if not for Hifumi, his aim would be off if not for Shinya. 

The weapons they use are not of their own making, thanks to Iwai they don’t have to rely only on their personas. Without the ability to speak down to the shadows from Yoshida, they’d have nothing to buy the weapons for, anyway. 

Akira doesn’t need to think of the rest of his confidants, expecting to come to the same conclusion anyway.

_Am I… really nothing without them?_

Akira is acutely aware of the fact, that this conversation is leading nowhere but a fight, and the realization of it scares him more knowing he will have to pick his side.

“He’s just bluffing... Ain’t no way he’s gonna take all of us down by himself.” Ryuji breaks Akira out of his thoughts.

“I’m afraid it’s no bluff. If he’s really the one behind the mental shutdowns, he’s likely to have more tricks up his sleeve.” Makoto admits sadly, Akira steeling his nerves for the fight.

Goro chuckles, “I’ll tell you all about my powers… while you die.” The air around him shifts, the shadows dancing around him, swallowing him up. “You can take this knowledge with you to your grave.” 

The laugh Goro lets out is nothing short of evil, the only way to describe the emotionless and broken sounds they hear. His outfits turns dark, the shape hovering above him begins to take form of a persona they haven’t seen before.

“Whoa, what is this?” the team hears Futaba’s distressed voice coming from inside her persona. “Everyone, be careful! His power are on completely different level than before.”

Akira can barely hear her over the sound of Goro’s maniacal laughter, the darkness swirling around him, his persona a looming promise of nothing but destruction. “Come… LOKI!”

_A wildcard._

Akira isn’t the only one who can use more than one persona. Goro is like him. Someone who had no guidance like he did, someone who was alone, only vengeance nurturing his powers. What he wouldn’t give to make Goro reveal it to him beforehand, to lead him to change with Akira’s help. But it’s no use thinking about it now. They all chose their own paths, but Akira is not beyond thinking he can change it, even after knowing about Goro’s dark nature.

Because as much as he tries to convince them _this_ is what he’s really like, Akira knows better. Beneath this mask of a murderer, there is a boy who shared calm moments in Leblanc with him, who blushed at the slightest notice of Akira’s flirty antics, who smiled at him, the most beautiful smile he ever seen. The boy who he loves with all his heart and will never let go, no matter what or who stands in their way.

So when the fight finally breaks out, he can’t bring himself to harm him. Akira chooses to stay on the back, providing support, healing and buffing whoever he can, observing with a heavy heart how both parties give their all in a fight with no winner. 

He can’t stand the accusations in the eyes of his teammates, his inactivity taken as a betrayal. It only serves to deepen his conviction of them being better off without him. He realizes that in their eyes, he’s practically siding with a murderer, but rest assured, the wounds his friends sustain hurt him the same as the wounds they deal to Goro.

Only in the middle of the battle Akira realizes his mistake. They’re all exhausted, Akira pushing them to their limits to get everything over with as soon as they can. The last letter of recommendation practically assured them of there being nothing else, but a clear way to the treasure. They were not ready to face another fight. 

So after only few minutes Akira sees how the rest of the team barely hangs on, almost nothing left to ensure their victory. Goro doesn’t look better than them, breathing heavily and struggling to keep up with seven people attacking him from all directions. At some point he sees the opening for Goro to attack them again, surely granting him victory, but Akira can’t stand idly anymore.

He jumps in front of Goro, blocking him from pulling off a successful attack, struggling to hold him off. “Goro, please. You don’t have to do this.” Akira pleads, his voice desperate.

There is no reasoning with Goro in this state, only the animalistic viciousness left in his red eyes. “Get the hell out of my way!”

Akira needs to try regardless. “Stop it! You’re only hurting yourself! We can help you! We’re not your enemies!” 

Goro only laughs, the dark cackle that seems to never leave him. “You’re no better than everyone else.” he says bitterly, still trying to push Akira out of his way. “You’re lying. You can’t help me!” 

He pushes Akira with all the force he can muster, sending the thief stumbling backwards. Only one attack will be enough for the thieves to lose, and Akira is the only one left with enough energy to stop Goro. He doesn’t even have to think when he summons his personas, his instinct telling him to protect his teammates. He only hopes he’s not going to regret this later, but for Goro to listen to reason, Akira needs to stop him one way or another.

“Megidolaon!” Akira hears himself scream, sending a surge of energy in Goro’s direction, knocking him down and allowing the rest of the thieves to regroup. The attack seems to be the last Goro could take, because once he lands on the ground, he stays there unmoving. Akira leans forward, ready to run up to him and help him, but he’s stopped by the hands on his shoulders, the team silently thanking him for the job well done.

But Akira doesn’t feel like there is anything to be thankful for. He promised himself to not take any sides, and yet here he is, with his team behind his back, safe and sound, an Goro laying on the ground, struggling to breathe and trying to lift himself up.

“You ready to call it quits?” Ryuji asks, standing by Akira’s side.

Goro remains crouched, not having enough strength to stand, “I know… I’ve had enough.” his voice is resigned, Akira’s stomach churning at the sound of it. “You’re so lucky. Lucky to be surrounded… by teammates who acknowledge you. And once Shido confesses his crimes, you’ll all be heroes.”

Goro turns his head to the side, voice breaking. “People will find out my deductions were just a charade. My fame and trust will vanish.” the last sentence nearly a whisper, “In the end, I couldn’t be special.”

The hands disappeared from Akira’s shoulder a while ago, and yet he makes no move to comfort Goro. This time, he doesn’t need to. Once everything is said and done, the team takes the matters into their own hands. It starts with small praises, then careful acknowledgements and recognition of his powers. Every comment, every small remark about sympathizing and relating to Goro, makes the brunette’s eyes go a little wider.

Just one small push will be enough to break through the brunette’s defense, and Akira knows he must be the one to do it. He walks up to Goro, kneeling in front of him, his expression the softest he can muster. “Goro.” Akira calls out, the detective looking up at him.

He feels the team shuffling away slowly, giving them space. “I don’t need your pity.” Goro says, looking away from Akira again.

“Goro… You sacrificed so much for me. Let _me_ be the one to help _you_ , this time” he smiles at Goro, removing his mask. He doesn’t want to hide from him. In this moment he’s not Joker, he’s not the leader of the Phantom Thieves, not his enemy. There is no Black Mask, no murderer and no Detective Prince. It’s just two boys who lost something precious to them and desperately want it back.

Goro laughs breathlessly, “I wish we could have met few years earlier. Maybe then… we could have been friends. Maybe something more…” he trails off, the finality in his voice breaks Akira’s heart.

“It’s not too late. You can still join us.” Akira’s offer making Goro look up at him again, surprise on his face.

“Are you an idiot? You should get rid of me. You will all perish with me weighting you down.” he smirks, a broken smile Akira never wants to see ever again.

The thief shakes his head, “Let me be the judge of that. I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever. If Shido made you believe otherwise, l have a score to settle with him. And I think you do, too.” He smiles at Goro, an honest smile, not hindered by any blame or grudge. “Let’s go back, Crow. I know a certain café that misses you a lot.” 

Goro’s eyes widen, and soon enough they’re filled with tears. When he can’t stop himself from looking away from Akira, the ravenette wipes them away, just like the brunette has done for him before. Goro takes Akira’s hand, holds it close to him, smiling an honest smile, the sincerity finally breaking through his act.

“Akira… I-“

“Joker!” Haru screams, and Akira looks around, searching for the danger. He has no time to react when he hears a gunshot, reflected by the barrier Haru put up on time. He jumps away on instinct, separating himself from Goro who’s still crouched on the floor. 

Soon enough, he notices the source of the commotion. “Akechi…?!” Ryuji asks disbelievingly.

“No, it’s Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!” Morgana explains, the whole team on guard again, ready to defend themselves with what little strength they still have. 

The cognition walks closer, face blank and eyes cold, before he’s features twist into a malicious grin, and with a disapproving scoff he aims a gun at Goro. Akira wants to instantly jump back to the brunette’s side, to shield him from the bullet if need be, but the group stops him. It’s enough for the cognition to lock eyes with Akira, speaking up in a familiar voice, and yet the one he never heard before. “I’ll deal with the rest of you later.” 

Goro gasps and turns his head to look at the group. The shift in his gaze so obvious it takes every bit of Akira’s self-control not to run up to him. He can see Goro’s mind reeling for a solution to get the thieves away from this place. His eyes are determined, and even though he has no energy to move, he looks at Akira. The ravenette begins to take notice of the same expression he’s seen so many times during the time of their cooperation, the eyes promising safety with no heed for his own salvation, the ones Akira hates the most.

Before anyone has a chance to make a move, the cognition continues, “Captain Shido’s orders. He has no need for losers…” the disinterest in his voice makes Akira’s blood boil. “Well, this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway.” 

“What…!?” 

_This is not happening._

The cognition scoffs, “Did you truly believe you’d be spared after all the murders you undertook? Don’t tell me.... Were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?” 

Akira barely hears the cognition’s words over the sound of his thought trying to come up with anything to save both himself and Goro, the ability he is quickly loosing the longer he stares into Goro’s eyes, desperate and bleak.

“Oh by the way…” the cognition continues. “…the captain says it’s time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns.” 

“What the hell, man!? That bastard’s the one who put him up to it!” Ryuji takes a step forward.

“I see…” Goro finally speaks up, struggling to hold himself upright, “I was wondering how he’ll protect himself. Turns out you’re how. He’s making a puppet kill me.”

“No.” Akira finally speaks up. “He’s the one who’s gonna die.” and before he has a chance to think through his actions, Akira moves forward, knowing he’s the only one who can still put up a fight. He doesn’t get far, quickly feeling himself being pulled away by Goro, holding him by his arms, only now noticing how the cognition summons few shadows to his aid.

With the unimpressed expression, the cognition scoffs and says, “You must be the one who’s ruined all our plans, aren’t you?” and he turns his gun at Akira. “Pathetic. I wonder how someone so unremarkable was able to twist you around his finger.” he looks back at Goro.

The brunette pulls Akira back, standing in front of him like a shield. The cognition laughs, the sweetest laugh he can manage, laced only with malice and venom. “Do you actually think you’re worthy of his attention? Do you think anyone ever felt any affection towards a nobody like you?”

“Don’t listen to him.” Akira says from behind the brunette, seeing him clenching his fists. He tries to stand next to him, but Goro doesn’t let him, keeping him in place.

“Shido gave you everything. Your fame, the public attention, even the words of praise. You can still have it all back.” the cognition proposes, “All you need to do, is kill them.”

Silence falls over the room, everyone looking at each other with uncertainty. Akira wishes he could see Goro’s face, not wanting to believe he’s actually considering the offer. He takes few steps back, still trying to find the best way to attack from the shadows, hoping he still has enough strength to pull it off. Before he has a chance to get far, he finds himself facing the barrel of Goro’s gun, turned in his direction.

And he’s scared. Not because he’s sure Goro will pull the trigger, but he can finally see his face. He’s never seen such dedication, such finality of any decision written on his features, and yet his eyes are empty, only the smallest hint of regret and silent plea of forgiveness. Akira tries to reassure him as best as he can but his lips are trembling, and he’s still not looking away for a second. Akira doesn’t know why the brunette feels the need for any remorse, he should be aware that at this point Akira will forgive him for anything.

“Yes. That what our captain wishes to see.” the cognition goads, the twisted smile on his face.

Goro’s lips turn into a smirk, still not looking away from Akira. “Don’t misunderstand.” his eyes glint with the familiar warmth, reminded him of the calm evening in Leblanc. “You’re the one who’s going to disappear!” he turns away from Akira and aims at the cognition, shooting at him and gaining enough time to distract him, Goro shooting at the button at the wall behind the rest of the thieves.

The alarm goes off, everyone looking at each other questioningly. Akira stares at Goro, the brunette smiling at him, that one smile that Akira adores, now only freezing him in place and making his blood run cold. Akira understands a second too late.

“Goro!” he calls out desperately, but the shutter is already closing, separating the thieves from the brunette. 

Akira barely hears the distressed voices of his teammates, running up to the shutter and trying to get it to open somehow. The effort is fruitless, the metal barely moving under the weight of his fists, but he bangs on the door nonetheless. It’s the closest he can be to Goro. 

He hears movement on the other side, the cognition still recoiling from the attack. “I’m sorry, Akira.” the sound of Goro’s voice rings out from just behind the door. “I hope you’ll forgive me someday.”

“Goro, please…” Akira’s voice is cracking, his fists still resting on the shutter. This is not happening. He only did it to distract the cognition, right? He must still have something up his sleeve. His cognition is weakened, surely it will be easier to defeat. Few more shadows shouldn’t pose a problem for someone like him.

And when it’s done he’ll return to Akira, the doors will open and Goro will apologize to him again, and Akira will forgive him. 

So why can’t he stop crying?

“I know you weren’t lying.” Goro speaks up again, choked breaths barely noticeable through the thick barrier. “I don’t expect you to believe me but… I really wanted to come back to Leblanc with you all.” the cheery tone mixing with sobs clearly evident in the brunette’s voice doesn’t help Akira in getting himself together. 

“Y-you will… you- you will, just… please!” Akira tries to rasp out. 

“Let’s make a deal, okay?” Goro’s voice is steady again. “You won’t say no, will you?”

 _Anything_ his mind wants to say, while his heart only wants to plead with him to come back, to let them help. To not _die_ , not throw everything away for Akira again. 

“Change Shido’s heart, in my stead. End his crimes, please!” Goro pleads, like he doesn’t know Akira will do anything for him. Like he doesn’t know he’s clutching his fists and resting his forehead on the shutter, with the hope his prayers can save him.

“You bastard!” Akira registers the cognition’s voice, finally gathering himself. It’s not long before it will all end.

“Promise me, Akira!” the urgency of Goro’s voice finally snapping him out of despair, if only for few seconds. 

“I promise!” Akira barely recognizes his own voice wrecked with sobs. “I promise, so… Come back to me, please…” the last words coming out as pathetic whines. Akira doesn’t care. He’ll deal with the humiliation later, when they’re all safe, with Goro in his arms again.

“I’m sorry, Akira.” Goro isn’t doing any better, “Thank you. For not giving up on me, for giving me a place to belong.” He’s not saying goodbye. He can’t be.

_Tell him!_

Before Akira can open his mouth, he can hear one last quiet confession, Goro’s voice filled with all the kindness and affection he ever showed Akira.

“I love you.”

And it’s everything Akira ever wanted. The only thing he desperately wants to say back, but he’s stunned into silence. The one thing he will never get a chance to say, because the next second robs him of everything.

_Ba-Bang!_

Silence.

Minutes pass. Maybe hours. Akira doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to. 

He can’t hear anything. No sound of breathing, no sound of battle, nothing. 

His ears start ringing, the distant voices just a white noise. He feels weak, his legs no longer able to support him. Something cold is pressing against his forehead, the black wall is the only thing in his vision. 

He’s shaking. Akira can’t tell if he’s cold, or it’s something else. His vision is no longer blurry, the tears stopped flowing, leaving him staring with eyes opened wide, into nothingness. 

Something is there, in the corner of his sight. A hand. Trying to rouse him from the nightmare with no escape. Akira disregards it, it doesn’t belong to the one person… the one person he…

He doesn’t know how much time passes when he feels himself being lifted off the ground, standing on his own unsteady legs. The surroundings are changing, the room still dark, but there are people there. He can’t decipher their expressions, their faces just a blur, they’re not the one Akira is looking for.

He’s moving. The stairs, the corridors, the big room, something shiny. It’s pretty. Akira wishes he can take a piece of it and show it to… show it to…

The world swirls around him, black and red mixing, making him dizzy. It’s probably nothing, the world stopped being clear some time ago. It’s making him smile, he wonders if he’s waking up. He’ll wake up, he’ll wake up and thank god it was just a dream. He’ll wake up and… he’ll call… call him…

The world is clear again, and there are people around him. Some part of his brain tells him he knows them. Do they matter? Do they know Akira? Do they know _him_? If he asks them, will they lead Akira to him?

Their lips are moving, there are hands holding his own, guiding him somewhere. He can’t wait to see where they’re going. He nods when they look at him expectedly. They don’t like it, they shake their heads in disapproval, and Akira feels like he’s suffocating.

They’re walking for hours, the road never leading them anywhere, and Akira is done waiting. They don’t care, they’re not searching like he is. He frees himself from the hands holding him steady and runs back. Back to the place he last saw him.

There is nothing, no swirling, no corridors, no shiny things. There is blood on the ground and Akira knows he’s the only one who can see it. He ignores it, there is nothing to it. It’s not his, it can never be his. 

_‘I really wanted to come back to Leblanc with you all.’_

There is a voice in his head, ringing out inside his skull. Akira stops and thinks it’s the most beautiful sound he ever heard. Leblanc. That’s where they’ll meet. 

He sees a black cat, keeping him company for unknown reasons. If he focuses enough, his mouth is moving, like he’s talking to him. Funny. He wonders if all cats are talkers and he just never noticed. He accepts his presence, the cats never bothered him.

Akira runs back to Leblanc, few hours of running making his legs scream. It’s dark, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll be waiting. He’s always there when Akira needs him. 

The place is dark, but Akira has keys. He walks in, hopeful, turning on the lights. Nothing. 

_‘Welcome home.’_

Akira looks around. The silence doesn’t speak. He looks at the chairs, but they have no answers. They don’t know where he went. 

_‘I hope you’ll forgive me someday.’_

He’ll forgive him for anything. He’ll forgive him, and they will talk. They will talk about nothing and everything. They’ll talk until morning, until the day’s end, until the end of the world. They’ll stay together, and nothing will separate them. If only Akira could find him.

_‘Thank you.’_

There are things Akira will never be able to repay him for. Until then, he’ll say it back to him, as many times as it takes for him to forgive Akira. 

_‘I love you.’_

“I…” Akira stands in the café. It’s empty and silent. There is no laughter, no calm and no happiness. There is no boy sitting on the second to last chair. He will never sit there again. 

“Go…ro…?” Akira walks up the stairs. Hoping is useless. He knows the truth. 

The attic is empty. Just like his eyes. Just like his heart.

There is a dreamcatcher, laying on the floor. It has nothing to protect Akira from, the reality is a nightmare no dream can ever hope to be. 

Akira sits on the bed, taking deep breaths. They turn to choked sobs, then silent cries. He’s sitting with his knees close to his chest, backed against the wall, when he can no longer contain his screams. 

He screams for the days when he came back to Leblanc, Goro sitting there with a soft smile to welcome him. He screams for the calm evenings, when they could talk for hours, their company the only thing they could ever want. He screams for the words he could never say. 

The sun slowly peeks from around the horizon, starting another day. The day Goro will never see. Akira can scream no more, his voice gave out hours ago. But he clutches the phone in his hand, ignoring the calls, ignoring the messages, ignoring the friends he failed. He writes a single message to the boy who will never read it, sending it to the number no longer existing. 

**Akira** : I love you

_Not delivered._

Akira hides his face in his hands, praying for the happiness of the boy who can no longer hear him.

~~~~~

_There was once a Boy, who used to frequent a small Café in Yongen-Jaya._

_There is a Barista, waiting diligently for the day they can meet again._

_Somewhere, in the place with no time and no space, the Barista wakes up. There is no sadness, nor death. In the place where dreams come true, he turns around to find a Boy, waiting for him with a gentle smile on his face._

_There is laughter, there is joy, and the words the Barista could never get a chance to say. “I know.” The Boy says, so the Barista can finally know peace._

_From this moment they are inseparable, forever joined in the place with no beginning and no end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one for the road:  
> \- Excuse me for being overdramatic in Sae's palace.  
> \- I never specified what Goro's bruises are from, but with the touch aversion you can probably guess.  
> \- Also, it might not be clear enough why there's such a sudden change in Goro's behavior. Because of the fact that Akira came into play, he started to hesitate about his vengeance on Shido, and during the palace he tried to stop himself from caring too much. When he saw Akira near his apartment he's already been hurt enough to resent Shido more than he cared about Akira at that moment, so he had to take priority over it.  
> \- I'm sorry for completely butchering the end. I had massive troubles with writing a scene with 10 people in it.  
> \- I wrote 50k fanfic just for the last thousand words. I had to stop several times to blow my nose and write it at night so my parents wouldn't question me why I was crying for three hours straight.  
> \- There is a very slight hint from our unreliable narrator at the end that it's not the end of our story.  
> \- The last part is a dream, not an afterlife.
> 
> Can you believe I wanted to make it into a one-shot when I started writing this? 
> 
> So! We're here! I never would have expected to finish this fic so early, much less making it so long. It would be impossible without all the people who supported me with kudos and comments, and I'm sooooo grateful for every single one of you who took the time to take a look at my work. 
> 
> I plan to write a sequel of some sorts, although the plot and form of it is yet to be determined. It's probably not going to show up for the next month or so (I have a teaching practice in September and studies in October), unless it's going to be multi-chapter, then maybe I'll split it to smaller chunks.
> 
> Again, thank you all so much for sticking with me till the end. Till next time.


End file.
